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Commercial Lighting and Demand-Side Management: A Utility Perspective from the United States
Karl F. Johnson
Electric Power Research Institute, U.S.A. Introduction Demand-side management (DSM) programs have existed in various forms for almost 15 years, and they continue to become a more essential part of utility resource planning. Several forces are driving this evolution: environmental concerns, regulatory initiatives, the need to conserve resources, and the desire to defer further power plant and distribution system construction. Because lighting accounts for 30-35% of all commercial electricity use, a large number of DSM programs target lighting systems. And potential savings are large - the total technical potential energy savings for commercial lighting systems ranges from 22-56% of the lighting energy currently being used. This paper characterizes commercial lighting DSM program sin the United States and addresses EPRI's role in utility DSM efforts. Further, it examines some questions regarding the cost-effectiveness of these programs and issues facing future DSM development.
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