The World Bank is financing a study of electricity usage in Thailand. The project, involving the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), will attempt to understand usage patterns throughout the country.

The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) signed an agreement with EPRI and the study will use equipment developed by the US-based research organization.

Called the Load Research Program – Demand Side Management, the study will use EPRI’s Non-Intrusive Appliance Load-Monitoring System. This is a small data recorder which fits between a meter and the meter socket. It monitors the electricity being used by various appliances in a house, and then transmits this data directly to the utility.

Usage patterns will be studied in urban and rural environments, and will also extend to commercial settings. The resulting database will form a statistically representative foundation from which EGAT can determine and forecast electricity demand. Thailand has been experiencing electricity demand growth of 6 per cent per annum.