Power Demand Response is a modern application of a utility cost management tool that has been in use for many years. Simply put, Demand Response is the name given to an automatic and intelligent response to a peak power consumption event.

Electric service rate tariffs, designed for users of large amounts of energy, typically attempt to recover independently two elements of the utilities' costs. The first element is the production (fuel) cost, which is recovered through consumption charges. The second element is the cost of providing the physical plant (including such items as transformers, transmission lines, and production capacity) required to meet the customer's demand peaks. In today's global energy environment, the ability to deliver electricity at above average rates of consumption has become a major factor in the utilities cost structure. Naturally this cost is passed on to the consumer in the form of demand charges to cover the cost of maintaining that ability to deliver the peak power upon demand. Uncontrolled, this cost can have a severe impact on utility budgets and result in lost profits in many manufacturing facilities.

The Info-Scan Demand Response Application controls energy-consuming devices to limit the magnitude of demand peaks. This control is also referred to as load management. Traditionally, load management is applied only to the control of electric power. However, there is no reason to restrict the application of this effort. The Power Demand Response applications may be used, for example, to limit the output of a steam boiler at its most economical operating point. These principles may be applied to other forms of energy as well.