System and Method for Controlling an Electrical Load

A system and method for controlling a number of load controllers (10), each of which is operatively connected to one or more electrical loads (6) that are connected to a grid, results in a reduction in tracking errors, which arise when aggregated local devices fail to deliver the expected amount of responsive load service. Each load controller (10) monitors the operating frequency of the grid network (8) and is adapted to adjust power consumption of one or more of its electrical loads (6) in response to excursions of the operating network frequency from its nominal value. The load controllers (10) are in communication with a remote controller (14) and aggregated together to provide a responsive load service. The remote controller (14) is adapted to monitor the deviation of grid frequency from its nominal value and to determine adjustments to the responsive load service delivered by the electrical loads of each load controller. The remote controller (14) thereafter sends a correction signal to each load controller (10), which causes the respective load controller (10) to apply a correction to its responsive load service by way of an offset to its power consumption adjustments.