During a demand response event, which action is BAS most likely to take to reduce peak demand?

During a demand response event, which action is BAS most likely to take to reduce peak demand?

• A. Increase building lighting levels
• B. Shed HVAC or other loads
• C. Pause data logging
• D. Notify occupants only

Answer: (B)

Demand response aims to cut peak electricity use by temporarily reducing loads. The BAS achieves this by shedding nonessential or high-consumption components, prioritizing actions that lower demand quickly. HVAC typically accounts for the largest portion of a building’s energy use, so dimming or temporarily reducing cooling—such as lifting cooling setpoints or curtailing noncritical zones—produces the biggest drop in real-time demand. This keeps essential operations going while still easing the load on the grid during a DR event. Increasing lighting would raise, not reduce, demand; pausing data logging doesn’t change power use; and simply notifying occupants doesn’t alter how the systems run. So shedding HVAC or other loads is the most effective way to reduce peak demand.

Demand response aims to cut peak electricity use by temporarily reducing loads. The BAS achieves this by shedding nonessential or high-consumption components, prioritizing actions that lower demand quickly. HVAC typically accounts for the largest portion of a building’s energy use, so dimming or temporarily reducing cooling—such as lifting cooling setpoints or curtailing noncritical zones—produces the biggest drop in real-time demand. This keeps essential operations going while still easing the load on the grid during a DR event. Increasing lighting would raise, not reduce, demand; pausing data logging doesn’t change power use; and simply notifying occupants doesn’t alter how the systems run. So shedding HVAC or other loads is the most effective way to reduce peak demand.