An Evaluation of the HVAC Load Potential for Providing Load Balancing Service

TLDR

This paper investigates the potential of aggregated HVAC loads to provide intra‑hour load balancing services and determines the number of units required. A direct‑load control algorithm using a temperature‑priority‑list dispatches HVAC units to maintain indoor temperatures while maximizing load diversity, evaluated under realistic intra‑hour signals and varying outdoor/indoor temperature profiles. Modeling shows that the required number of HVAC units for a ±1‑MW load‑balancing service varies with baseline, temperature settings, and outdoor climate, and that such services meet performance targets and can generate significant revenue for load‑serving entities with two‑way smart‑grid communication.

Abstract

This paper investigates the potential of providing intra-hour load balancing services using aggregated heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) loads. A directload control algorithm is presented. A temperature-priority-list method is used to dispatch the HVAC loads optimally to maintain customer-desired indoor temperatures and load diversity. Realistic intra-hour load balancing signals are used to evaluate the operational characteristics of the HVAC load under different outdoor temperature profiles and different indoor temperature settings. The number of HVAC units needed is also investigated. Modeling results suggest that the number of HVAC units needed to provide a ±1-MW load balancing service 24 hours a day varies significantly with baseline settings, high and low temperature settings, and outdoor temperatures. The results demonstrate that the intra-hour load balancing service provided by HVAC loads meets the performance requirements and can become a major source of revenue for load-serving entities where the two-way communication smart grid infrastructure enables direct load control over the HVAC loads.