Improving energy efficiency in smart grids Utilising computer-based remote control and automation, electricity systems of the future are just around the corner. Deployment of smart grid technology will offer big improvements in energy efficiency both on the electricity grid and in users’ homes. Energy © chombosan, Shutterstock State-of-the-art and innovative techniques including electricity consumption analysis methods and demand-response programmes are significantly boosting resource adequacy and energy efficiency. The ELECON (Electricity consumption analysis to promote energy efficiency considering demand response and non-technical losses) project offered new findings regarding the design and utilisation of demand-response programmes and how they contribute to identifying non-technical losses. On the one hand, demand-response can play a crucial role in the sustainability of energy systems. On the other, the restructuring of the power industry and the rapid evolution towards smart grid systems dramatically increases the number of players involved in electricity transactions. This is making electricity billing much more complex. In light of these changes, it is important to identify and reduce non-technical losses such as electricity theft or non-payment by customers. In addition, supervision procedures are necessary to ensure the correctness of the billing process. Researchers extended the digital library that contains real electricity consumption data and electricity consumers’ profiles with additional data sets. In addition, they established a set of test networks covering microgrids and regular distribution networks, a diverse group of consumers (domestic, commercial, university campus, office buildings), different tariff structures and demand-response programmes, and several scenarios for the use of distributed generation and electric vehicles. Another achievement was the development of a new method for detecting non-technical losses in smart grids. The proposed method was tested with real data concerning irregular consumers in Brazil. ELECON research involved three research institutions from the EU and four institutions from Brazil. Together, researchers are expected to further contribute to successful smart grid implementation. Keywords Energy efficiency, smart grids, electricity consumption, demand-response, ELECON
