Agent-based approach for energy demand-side management

The rise of renewable energy sources increases power fluctuations in the power network due to daily and seasonal effects which have sensible impacts on pricing and tariffs. According to the Smart Grid Initiative the closer cooperation between electrical energy suppliers, retailers, network operators and authorities on one side and consumers on the other side is generally considered as strategic key. Large users actually are implementing active actions devoted to the intelligent access to the grid introducing technologies and procedures for flexible load control. Within the steel industry, especially the electric steelmaking plants have an extremely high potential for load control and decrease of the carbon footprint of the global steel production. This paper presents an agent based approach providing the steel industry a possible solution for the exploitation of opportunities and challenges constituted by energy markets.