Modeling and Demonstrating the Effect of Human Decisions on the Distribution Grid

Demand-side management methods such as flexibility and local electricity market studies often do not include varying human decisions, guided by behavior and preference, and the effect these have on the markets and, consequently, on the load of the distribution grid. Studies have shown that, given the right driving motive, human decisions can have an effect and are essential to consider. However, human decisions and their motives are complex and challenging to model, and the effects are not entirely known. Therefore, there is a need to break down human decisions and their motives into modeling parameters to see how these affect the distribution grid. This study aims to model human decisions and see the effect of varying the motives behind these decisions on the operation of distribution grids. First, social factors are explored to determine relevant human decisions. Second, by determining what and how motives drive these decisions. Finally, varying motives and changing human decisions are implemented and simulated in fixed extreme cases. It was found that human decisions can have significant positive and negative effects on the operation of distribution grids depending on the motive and that these motives should be treated delicately.