Load flexibility, deployed under a diversity of incentive and price-based demand response programs, has a huge potential to the increase of the smart grid efficiency. The aim is to take full advantage of the potential of consumers’ demand flexibility, while ensuring their proper remuneration and increasing the efficiency of the whole energy and power system. In spite of having already proved to be a very valuable and flexible resource with low cost when compared with alternative resources, demand response use is still at very low levels around the world. The identification of the main obstacles to the effective use of demand response, and of the most prominent potential solutions to overcome them, lead to the urgent need for further developments. The contributors for this special session will bring their experience in the development and use of effective solutions in the field.