Fast Frequency Response Provision from Commercial Demand Response, from Scheduling to Stability in Power Systems

Abstract

Reducing numbers of online conventional generators, due to increasing shares of renewable energy sources, are in-creasing the requirement for a fast frequency response from reserve providers when a large infeed/outfeed trips. The commercial demand side sector, considering its size (MW/MWh) and existing communication and control infrastructure, makes it a potential source of flexibility. Here, in particular, the provision of reserve from supermarket refrigeration sys-tems is presented, whereby a sufficiently large and diverse fleet of supermarkets are simulated and aggregated to system level. The all-island power system of Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland, with a horizon of 2030, is considered as a representative study system. The impact of utilising supermarket refrigeration systems as demand response providers (as part of system scheduling), and the (maximum) rate of change of frequency following system disturbances (as part of frequency stability analysis), are investigated. Three distinct frequency control methods are provided showing that supermarkets are capable of fast frequency response services to the grid, considering their high power and energy density.