There is a tradeoff here since involving the battery will increase the overall power consumption. Cycling the battery also shortens its lifespan, and obtaining

There is a tradeoff here since involving the battery will increase the overall power consumption. Cycling the battery also shortens its lifespan, and obtaining a replacement costs more energy. I think some degree of centralized control may be needed for this to pay off. That being said, i wonder if there are any existing programs that look at local electricity demand and adjust things accordingly.