Characteristics and control strategies of large-scale residential air conditionings for demand response programs

Residential air conditioning (RAC) loads have a great potential to participate in demand response (DR) program. This paper studies large-scale RAC loads participating in DR, including modeling, parameters identification, DR characteristics and control strategies. Firstly, aggregate model of large-scale RACs is established according to the buildings' performance of heat storage and insulation, avoiding calculation of single RAC model. Then, parameters of the aggregate model are identified based on RACs' power and outdoor temperature. Based on the aggregate model, DR characteristics of RACs are analyzed, including dynamic relationship among power, outdoor and indoor temperature, and potential of DR combined with users' comfort. Thirdly, the DR control strategies adapted to large-scale RACs are established by adjusting temperature set-points. The DR strategies consider users' comfort and calculate the control signals of each RAC according to the DR power, including adjustment temperature and adjustment time, which are sent to each RAC for execution. In the DR process, the control center does not need to obtain the users' indoor temperature, which is conducive to protecting the users' privacy. DR strategies of RACs when control degree within/beyond DR potential are both proposed, and load recovery control strategy is also introduced. Finally, the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed model and DR control strategies are verified by simulation results.