Demand Research
Demand & Conservation Planning Technical Papers
Electric Vehicles: Scenario Analysis of Electricity Energy and Peak Demands from Electric Vehicle Adoption and Charging
This technical paper, on electric-vehicle (EV) adoption and charging scenarios, looks at the factors that could result in uncertainties in forecasting future demand from this segment: evolving government policies and targets; technological advances; consumer preferences; supply chain constraints; global economic and geopolitical conditions; and lack of historical data to project future, long-term EV uptake. The paper then examines impacts on electricity demands at the bulk system level by exploring different adoption scenarios of light-duty EVs as well as medium-/heavy-duty EVs before analyzing a variety of possible peak impacts caused by EV charging.
Large Step Loads: Spotlight on Data Centres and Electric Vehicle Supply Chain
This technical paper looks at electricity demand from large step loads – that is, specific commercial and industrial sector projects or operations that are typically more than 20 megawatts and connect to the grid in large blocks over a short time – such as data centres and electric-vehicle supply chain facilities, and it outlines the planning considerations that contribute to uncertainty in future demand. Those include the timing, size and location of the load growth due in part to shifting market forces, geopolitical conditions, and other uncertainties which the IESO will continue to study and monitor to inform future demand growth margins.
Space Heating: Insights on space heating electrification and its implications on Ontario electricity system planning
This technical paper takes a deeper look at the electrification of space heating, namely through the adoption of heat pumps, and provides insight on what would be required to fully electrify Ontario’s space heating needs and their implications on power system planning. Some of the challenges in forecasting the long-term adoption and load profiles of heat pumps include inconsistent, unavailable and/or unusable data on heat pump uptake and operation; variability of backup heating systems’ designs and operation; unclear replacement path for the commercial and industrial sectors; government policies; and outdated performance metrics in the Ontario Building Code. This analysis then concludes with an outline of actions the IESO is taking to address some of the uncertainties under discussion.
Extracting Insights and Trends from Residential and Small Commercial Electricity Data
This research paper provides data and insights on residential and small commercial electricity use from January 1, 2018 until November 30, 2021, broken down by region, postal code, distribution rate class and season among other variables.
Some examples of the data insights, include:
- Average monthly energy use by sector
- Weather/seasonal impacts on demand by sector
- Peak demand contributions by sector
- Energy demand by geographic area by sector
2021 Commercial End Use Survey
The 2021 Commercial End Use Survey collected a variety of information from Ontario businesses and institutions on energy-consuming equipment and processes such as type, age, usage, and efficiency. Additionally it collected information on general building and organization characteristics to contextualize the end use information, and information related to awareness of energy efficiency opportunities and inclination to participate in energy efficiency programs.