ENECHANGE CEO’s Cambridge research on optimizing time-of-use rates using smart meter data published in peer-reviewed journal “Energy”

ENECHANGE Ltd. (Head Office: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director & CEO: Yohei Kiguchi; Representative Director & COO: Ippei Arita) has published a paper titled “Predicting Winners and Losers under Time-Of-Use Tariffs Using Smart Meter Data”, which summarizes his doctoral research at the University of Cambridge, UK. The paper was published in Energy, a peer-reviewed academic journal that is considered to be one of the best in the energy field. 

The research was conducted in collaboration with Dr. Melvyn Weeks of Cambridge University and researcher Riku Arakawa of SMAP Energy Limited., and was supported by Looop Corporation (Head office: Taito-ku, Tokyo; President: Soichiro Nakamura), which provides Looop Denki, for the acquisition of data on electricity usage and user attributes under time-of-use tariffs and the provision of the accumulated data for academic use.

Abstract of Research paper

Title: Predicting Winners and Losers under Time-Of-Use Tariffs Using Smart Meter Data
Time-of-use electricity tariffs may become more widespread as smart meters are installed across deregulated domestic electricity markets. Time-of-use tariffs and other methods of time-dependent pricing can be mutually beneficial, realising a cost reduction for both energy companies and customers if the customer responds to the price signalling. However, such tariffs are likely to create positive and negative financial outcomes for individuals due to customer engagement and potential peak shifting capacity. Identifying potential reducers or non-reducers beforehand can optimise a time-of-use programme design, in turn maximising the outcome of the programme. This paper provides a statistical model to identify the characteristics of so-called winners and losers — or households that would be better or worse off under a time-of-use tariff — using only ex ante information. The model’s accuracy reaches a reliable level using historical electricity load and basic household characteristics. This accuracy can be further improved if online activity data is available, providing justification for digital interaction and gamification in time-of-use programmes. This paper also publishes a new public dataset of 1423 households in Japan, including historical smart meter data, household characteristics and online activity variables during the time-of-use intervention period in 2017 and 2018.

About Energy, the peer-reviewed journal in which the article was published

Energy is an international and interdisciplinary journal in energy engineering and research, and is considered one of the premier peer-reviewed journals in the energy field. The journal publishes only peer-reviewed articles and aims to be a trusted platform for energy analysis, review and evaluation.

Yohei Kiguchi Profile

Representative Director and CEO, ENECHANGE Ltd.
Yohei Kiguchi graduated from the University of Tokyo, Faculty of Law, and enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Cambridge (currently on a temporary leave of absence). While studying at the University of Cambridge, he established Cambridge Energy Data Lab, an industry-university collaborative research institute on electricity data. Based on the results of his research, he founded ENECHANGE Ltd. (Japan) and SMAP Energy Ltd. (UK). In June 2017, he became the representative director of both companies, and is currently promoting their business as CEO, focusing on electricity data business and overseas related business. In recognition of his achievements, he became the first Japanese person to be selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 Europe list in 2017.

About ENECHANGE Ltd.

ENECHANGE is an energy technology company that promotes a carbon-free society through digital technology with the mission of CHANGING ENERGY FOR A BETTER WORLD. We offer services based on data utilization in the fields of the 4Ds of Energy: Deregulation, Digitalization, Decarbonization, and Decentralization. Our company’s roots come from an energy data lab at the University of Cambridge, UK, a country where liberalization is well advanced. ENECHANGE has a British subsidiary, SMAP Energy Limited, as well as a global network and analytical technology for energy data.

URL: https://enechange.co.jp/en/

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