Agent-based system manages energy use

The team of researchers, led by Dr Alex Rogers and Prof Nick Jennings at Southampton University’s School of Electronics and Computer Science, developed the agent-based micro-storage management technique, which allows homes to adapt their energy use to match market conditions.

By using energy storage devices in the home, the researchers believe that energy usage can be improved in a number of ways. If storage devices can be used to supply home devices at peak electricity consumption times, then it should be possible to lower peak demand such that fewer carbon-intensive and expensive generators are required, reducing both energy costs and carbon emissions.

According to Dr Rogers, the software agents would be installed into smart meters that would monitor and control devices in the home, whereupon they would then be able to optimise the usage and storage profile of the dwelling and learn the best storage profile given market prices at any particular time.