A Survey of Efficient Demand-Side Management Techniques for the Residential Appliance Scheduling Problem in Smart Homes

Abstract

The residential sector is a major contributor to the global energy demand. The energy demand for the residential sector is expected to increase substantially in the next few decades. As the residential sector is responsible for almost 40% of overall electricity consumption, the demand response solution is considered the most effective and reliable solution to meet the growing energy demands. Home energy management systems (HEMSs) help manage the electricity demand to optimize energy consumption without compromising consumer comfort. HEMSs operate according to multiple criteria, including electricity cost, peak load reduction, consumer comfort, social welfare, environmental factors, etc. The residential appliance scheduling problem (RASP) is defined as the problem of scheduling household appliances in an efficient manner at appropriate periods with respect to dynamic pricing schemes and incentives provided by utilities. The objectives of RASP are to minimize electricity cost and peak load, maximize local energy generation and improve consumer comfort. To increase the effectiveness of demand response programs for smart homes, various demand-side management strategies are used to enable consumers to optimally manage their loads. This study lists out DSM techniques used in the literature for appliance scheduling. Most of these techniques aim at energy management in residential sectors to encourage users to schedule their power consumption in an effective manner. However, the performance of these techniques is rarely analyzed. Additionally, various factors, such as consumer comfort and dynamic pricing constraints, need to be incorporated. This work surveys most recent literature on residential household energy management, especially holistic solutions, and proposes new viewpoints on residential appliance scheduling in smart homes. The paper concludes with key observations and future research directions.