1. What are Demand and Maximum Demand?

Demand refers to a user's average electricity consumption over a specific period. It is usually measured in kilowatts (kW) or megawatts (MW) and represents the average electricity consumption a user reaches within a specific time period (e.g., a 15-minute demand cycle). It reflects the user's instantaneous demand on the power system.

Maximum demand refers to the maximum average electricity consumption a user generates within a specific time period (demand cycle) within a specific billing cycle (usually one month).

2. Thailand's Demand-Based Electricity Pricing Policy

1. Applicable to: Demand-based electricity pricing primarily targets businesses, shopping malls, hotels, factories, and other electricity users with a maximum demand exceeding 30kW.
2. Maximum Demand Calculation: The electricity sector uses a 15-minute time interval to select the period with the highest monthly electricity consumption as the billing benchmark. This peak value directly determines the demand-based electricity price.
3. Voltage Level Differential Pricing: The higher the voltage, the lower the demand-based electricity price.

3. Reducing Demand Charges Using Solar Energy and Energy Storage

To reduce demand charges by lowering maximum demand, hardware such as solar energy and energy storage, along with a system for coordinated control, is typically required.

4. Reducing Maximum Demand Using Acrel EMS 3.0

Demand Threshold Control: Users can set a maximum demand threshold. When the real-time load approaches this threshold, the system automatically adjusts the power consumption or operating time of non-critical loads (such as lighting, air conditioning, and non-production charging stations) to reduce maximum demand. A Chinese electromechanical project used this function to reduce electricity demand by 18%, saving 230,000 RMB annually in electricity costs.

Peak Shaving and Valley Filling: During peak electricity demand periods, energy storage devices are released to replace grid power; during off-peak periods, low-priced electricity is used to charge the energy storage devices, thereby smoothing the load curve and directly reducing the monthly maximum electricity consumption.

Industrial Equipment Timing Optimization: Off-peak start-stop scheduling is implemented for large equipment such as air compressors, fans, and water pumps to avoid multiple high-energy-consuming devices operating simultaneously and to distribute the load pressure during peak periods.