Demand side management for city districts

Abstract The increasing installation of volatile renewable energy sources like photovoltaics and wind enforces the need for flexibility options to match the renewable generation with the demand. One of these options is Demand Side Management (DSM) in the context of building energy systems combined with thermal storage systems. This paper discusses such concepts for DSM. A method for analyzing the flexibility that is needed to maintain the stability of the electrical grid is presented followed by the restrictions that are caused by meeting the heat demand and satisfying the comfort criteria of the residents. Approaches for simultaneously fulfilling these constraints as well as matching the flexibility needs of the electrical grid and the flexibility provided by the local building energy systems are discussed. To enhance the analysis options for the shown systems, a simulation platform that covers the electrical grid simulation, the building systems’ simulation and the control strategies is presented. This platform can be used to analyze different scenarios of building energy systems with different penetrations of renewable energy sources and different building types.