Abstract
Information systems are going to play a key role in making today’s electricity grids smarter and, in this way, enabling the energy turnaround from fossil to renewable energy sources. One of the approaches in order to cope with the intermittent feed-in of renewable energy is demand response, i.e. the demand side responds to requirements and price signals from the electricity grid. Until now, the supply side still largely responds to the demand by trying to generate the electricity that is currently needed. As the huge coordination task of demand response in smart grids necessarily requires information systems, this contribution analyzes existing information systems (IS) research contributions on demand response. Subsequently, we identify underrepresented areas by contrasting our findings with the research of related disciplines and research projects funded by the European Union (EU). Finally, we discuss selected open questions and conclude by illustrating what the identified white spots mean for the Smart Grid’s success and provides guidance for future IS research and development.
Recommended Citation
Strueker, Jens and Dinther, Clemens, "Demand Response in Smart Grids: Research Opportunities for the IS Discipline" (2012). AMCIS 2012 Proceedings. 7.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2012/proceedings/GreenIS/7
Demand Response in Smart Grids: Research Opportunities for the IS Discipline
Information systems are going to play a key role in making today’s electricity grids smarter and, in this way, enabling the energy turnaround from fossil to renewable energy sources. One of the approaches in order to cope with the intermittent feed-in of renewable energy is demand response, i.e. the demand side responds to requirements and price signals from the electricity grid. Until now, the supply side still largely responds to the demand by trying to generate the electricity that is currently needed. As the huge coordination task of demand response in smart grids necessarily requires information systems, this contribution analyzes existing information systems (IS) research contributions on demand response. Subsequently, we identify underrepresented areas by contrasting our findings with the research of related disciplines and research projects funded by the European Union (EU). Finally, we discuss selected open questions and conclude by illustrating what the identified white spots mean for the Smart Grid’s success and provides guidance for future IS research and development.