Demand Side Management (DSM) Through Absorption Refrigeration Systems

Abstract

The emerging concept of Demand Side Management (DSM) has achieved considerable importance in the 90's. It is estimated that since 1977, the number of utility-sponsored DSM programs have expanded from 134 to nearly 1300. These programs have resulted in capacity deferrals of more than 21,000 MW. By conservative estimates, this translates into $21 billion dollars in avoided costs. The various DSM programs can be divided into six major groups. They are Peak Clipping, Valley filling, Load Shifting, Strategic Conservation, Strategic Load Growth, and Flexible Load Shaping. Absorption Refrigeration from waste heat offers a viable option for DSM. This will either reduce the peak load (peak clipping) or the base load (strategic conservation), depending on the plant's situation and the utility rate structure. This paper will examine various application modes for absorption refrigeration as a DSM option. Proper procedure of evaluating absorption refrigeration potential will be illustrated by two recent case studies.