A Physically based Load Model of Residential Electric Thermal Storage: Application to LM Programs

Abstract

This paper describes and assesses a physically based load model of residential Electric Thermal Storage (ETS) devices, for both static and dynamic loads. This load model is based on an energy balance between the indoor environment, the dwelling constructive parameters, the ETS device, and the internal mass through a discrete state-space equation system. Therefore, detailed information about several physical magnitudes of the whole system are given along the time: ceramic brick temperature, electrical demand, heat fluxes, and indoor temperature. The main application of this load model has been oriented towards the simulation of the ETS device performances, in order to assess load management (LM) programs. The proposed model has been implemented and validated using data collected for the last two years in residential areas, in order to evaluate its accuracy and flexibility. Finally, a simulation case study is presented to show the possibilities of limiting and reducing the actual winter-peak by means of an LM program, proposed by the authors, that takes into account customer minimum comfort levels and the experimental data of residential load curve profiles.