What is peak shaving?
Like load shifting, peak shaving is a form of energy management. Whereas load shifting responds to cost-efficient times, peak shaving helps prevent peaks in demand.
Peak shaving (also known as load shedding) reduces the load on the power grid by turning off equipment with high energy consumption or – and this is where it gets interesting – by adding a local energy source to offset the peak demand.
How does peak shaving work?
In the energy market, the term peak shaving refers to the process of using local energy storage (or fossil-fueled generators) to reduce the load on the grid.
Generally, this method is used with large industrial and commercial power consumers – not individual households. But, times are changing. Today, more and more households have solar panels on their roofs. Sometimes there is even an external battery to store the energy generated during the day. A suitable method for managing energy efficiently is therefore becoming increasingly relevant for households as well.
The difference between load shifting and peak shaving
With load shifting, you shift part of the load to a quieter time when electricity is cheaper, while the amount of energy you end up using from the grid does not change.
Peak shaving does allow you to reduce the load on the grid, by adding another energy source. This allows you to continue using all equipment at the same time, while keeping costs down.
Blauhoff’s smart systems can automatically take care of this for you.