How the Italian Residential Sector Could Contribute to Load Flexibility in Demand Response Activities: A Methodology for Residential Clustering and Developing a Flexibility Strategy

Abstract

<jats:p>This work aims at exploring the potential contribution of the Italian residential sector in implementing load flexibility for Demand Response activities. In detail, by combining experimental and statistical approaches, a method to estimate the load profile of a dwelling cluster of 751 units has been presented. To do so, 14 dwelling archetypes have been defined and the algorithm to categorise the sample units has been built. Then, once the potential flexible loads for each archetype have been evaluated, a control strategy for applying load time shifting has been implemented. That strategy accounts for both the power demand profile and the hourly electricity price. Specifically, it has been assumed that end users access a pricing mechanism following the hourly trend of electricity economic value, which is traded day by day in the Italian spot market, instead of the current Time of Use (TOU) system. In such a way, it is possible to flatten the dwellings cluster profile, limiting undesired and unexpected results on the balancing market. In the end, monthly and yearly flexibility indexes have been defined along with the strategy effectiveness parameter. From calculations, it emerges that a dwelling cluster for the Italian residential sector is characterised by a flexibility index of 10.3% and by a strategy effectiveness equal to 34%. It is noteworthy that the highest values for flexibility purpose have been registered over the heating season (winter) for the weekends.</jats:p>

Implementation and Simulation of Real Load Shifting Scenarios Based on a Flexibility Price Market Strategy—The Italian Residential Sector as a Case Study

“…This latter, including several probes, sensors, transducers and interfaces, is characterised by a purchase price ranging between 1000 and 4000 € as the household size increases together with technical requirements, specifications and remote controls [26]. In this work, the management strategy developed in a previous project of the same authors [19], are considered; this strategy was defined comparing the power demand profiles of a buildings cluster with the Italian hourly electricity price. In so doing, all those moments over the day, in which clusters should reduce or enhance their electrical uptakes, were detected.…”

“…In accordance with the mentioned research indications, and based on what has emerged when applying the management strategy proposed in a previous work [19], different scenarios have been built. Specifically, they also include several constraints, in order to evaluate their effects on the dwellings' flexible potential.…”

Procedures and Methodologies for the Control and Improvement of Energy-Environmental Quality in Construction

“…The next paper, authored by Piasecki and Kostyrko [3], developed a weighting scheme for the IEQ index accounting for entropy-based and statistic-based approaches. The fourth paper authored by Mancini et al [4] explored the potential contribution as load flexibility of dwellings in Italy for Demand Response activities, finding out that the most flexible interval is in winter season weekends, accounting for thermal power of Heat Pumps and possible heat storage.…”

Heading Towards 100% of Renewable Energy Sources Fraction: a critical overview on Smart Energy Systems planning and flexibility measures

“…By constituting virtual third parties, also known as aggregators, those subjects are able to gather huge amounts of energy for trading them on advantageous terms. In regards of aggregators, it is crucial for them, firstly to accurately estimate the dwellings clusters profile, secondly to keep under control shiftable loads [46]. In a new context moving towards the distributed generation, where residential photovoltaic plants are widespreading, flexible demands allow to lessen the energy amount taking advantages of net metering mechanism.…”