Problem
In 2016 and 2017, more than half of the electricity generation capacity added to the U.S. power grid came from renewable resources, due to the steep decline in price for the generation of wind and solar energy. Though reducing our carbon footprint by a significant amount, there is a new problem that has emerged due to the fluctuations of weather that vary our access to power.
At noon, when the sun is high, the solar power generated is at its peak. However, demand for electricity only usually occurs later in the evening, when the sky is dark and families return home from work and school. Thus, an overgeneration of electricity may be created during lower demand hours. This may increase the electrical frequency and risk a disconnect between the power plant and the grid. On the flip side, if we feed in too little to meet demand, the electrical frequency drops and the grid may collapse, causing a power blackout. Moreover, on the economic side, overgeneration of renewable electricity may curtail it, discouraging investment into sustainable projects and decreasing their benefit.
Solution
Utility customers have had three options for meeting their electricity needs: buy it, make it, or eliminate it. But now they have a fourth option: to shift it through demand flexibility. What Flux aims to do is inform the user of the best times to turn their power on or off. When there is low demand for electricity, Flux will text the user that it is an optimal time to use electricity if necessary. When there is high demand, Flux will text the user that it is best to avoid the use of power at the present moment.
By periodically informing the user of the current demand of the grid, Flux can encourage demand flexibility of the power grid, and reduce the user's carbon footprint.