Demand shaping in an electrical power grid using day ahead market and real time market prices

1. A method for controlling the flow of energy in an electrical power grid, comprising:

shedding a first optimal amount of energy demand for a user of the grid based on a set of possible values for actual energy procurement costs in the real-time market (RTM) and on a set of possible values for an actual non-moveable energy demand of the user, wherein said shedding comprises determining an amount of price incentive on energy procurement costs to obtain said first optimal amount of energy demand for the user to shed according to a billing structure;

shifting a second optimal amount of energy demand for the user to a time when cheaper energy procurement costs may be obtained based on the set of possible values for actual energy procurement costs in the real-time market (RTM) and on the set of possible values for actual non-moveable energy demand of the user, wherein said shifting comprises updating the billing structure based on energy procurement costs of shifting the second optimal amount of energy demand; and

repeating the shedding and shifting steps until a convergence of respective total energy procurement costs of shedding and shifting is achieved.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of shedding comprises providing to the user the predetermined amount of price incentive on energy procurement costs and directly controlling, without express information of load preferences of the user, the level of shedding to obtain said optimal amount of energy demand for the user to shed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of determining comprises offering to the user the amount of price incentive and receiving from the user a decision on an amount of energy demand to shed.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of shedding is performed without express information of load preferences of the user.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of shedding comprises determining and purchasing an amount of non-moveable energy demand of the user in the RTM.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the step of shifting comprises shifting an optimal amount of energy demand for the user to a time in either the day-ahead market (DAM) or the real-time market (RTM).

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said shifting is further based on a respective utility function for each user of the grid that relates a user's energy consumption with the user's price for said energy consumption.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said shifting is further based on a fixed utility function for users of the grid that relates a user's energy consumption with the user's price for said energy consumption.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein said convergence comprises a difference between respective total energy procurement costs of shedding and shifting approximating zero.

10. A control system for an electrical power network that minimizes the costs of providing electricity to users in the network, comprising:

a processor that

sheds a first amount of electricity demand for a respective user, wherein shedding comprises providing to the respective user an amount of price incentive on electricity procurement costs directed to shedding the first amount of electricity demand according to a billing structure;

time-shifts a second amount of electricity demand for the respective user, wherein time-shifting comprises updating the billing structure based on shedding the first amount of electricity demand and shifting the second amount of electricity demand for the respective user; and

repeats shedding and time-shifting until a convergence is achieved,

said shedding and time-shifting each using a set of possible values for actual electricity procurement costs in the real-time market (RTM) and a set of possible values for actual non-moveable electricity demand of the respective user.

11. The control system of claim 10 , wherein time-shifting comprises shifting said second amount of electricity demand for the respective user to a time when cheaper electricity procurement costs may be obtained in either the day-ahead market (DAM) or the real-time market (RTM).

12. The control system of claim 10 , wherein time-shifting relates a user's electricity consumption with the user's purchase price for said electricity consumption.

13. The control system of claim 10 , wherein the processor determines the amount of electricity to procure on each of the day-ahead market (DAM) and the real-time market (RTM) to meet the electricity demand of the respective user after shifting and shedding.