Energy Matching

Demand Side Management in Buildings

With increasing penetration of renewable electricity sources and the phasing out of dispatchable fossil sources, matching grid generation with grid demand will become difficult using traditional grid management methods alone. Additionally, grid congestion is a pressing problem. Demand side management in buildings may contribute to a solution to these problems. However, demand response is not yet exploited at scale.

Challenges and Market Conditions

One reason demand response is not widely used is that it remains unclear how flexibility can be translated into successful business models, or whether this is feasible under the current market regime.

Potential Value of Energy Demand Flexibility

This research provides insight into the potential value of energy demand flexibility in reducing energy costs and increasing the match between electricity demand and purchased renewable electricity. An inventory is made of on-site electrical devices that offer load flexibility, and the magnitude and duration of load shifting is estimated for each group of devices. A demand response simulation model is then developed to represent the complete collection of flexible devices.

Simulation Model

This model addresses demand response as a ‘distribute candy’ problem and finds the optimal time-of-use for shiftable electricity demand while respecting the flexibility constraints of the electrical devices. The value of demand flexibility at the building cluster is assessed using this simulation model, measured electricity consumption, and data regarding the availability of purchased renewables and day-ahead spot prices.

Improving Energy Matching

This research concludes that coordinated demand response of a large variety of devices at the building cluster level can improve energy matching by 0.6-1.5% and reduce spot market energy costs by 0.4-3.2%.

Authors

• Samuel de Vries
• H Elsayed
• Peter Quaak
• Reneé Heller