Determining the value of conservation to Thailand´s electric utility

Incorporating demand-side resources into the planning regime of fast-growing electric utilities in developing countries is a particular challenge. A method is developed for valuing the contribution of conservation under these circumstances and illustrated through scenarios of electricity savings in Thailand´s large commercial sector. The primary value of these scenarios is in the creation of opportunities to defer or cancel plants planned for future inclusion in the system. The benefits of such deferments are twofold: a direct reduction in capacity needs commensurate with the load impacts of the scenario, plus a reduction in the reserve margin required to maintain system reliability. Comparison of the capital requirements of the conservation scenarios versus the deferrable plant capacity showed that conservation is substantially less capital intensive