Scenario-based MPC for Energy Schedule Compliance with Demand Response

Abstract Demand Response (DR) is one way of providing more flexibility to the electric power system. Various approaches to enable control of small, thermostatically controlled loads such as air conditioners and Electric Water Heaters (EWHs) have been published in the past. This paper focuses on the optimal dispatch of these flexible loads. A Model Predictive Control is implemented to minimize total cost arising from both energy acquisition and schedule deviations. To handle uncertainty, scenarios of the future demand are considered. Results show the trade-off between using flexibility as a service and accrued energy cost. Detailed sensitivity analyses give insight on the dependency of DR utilization on load parameters.