Building as a virtual power plant, magnitude and persistence of deferrable loads and human comfort implications

Abstract This work uses high resolution data from 130 electricity sub-meters to characterise a 12,500m2 commercial building as a virtual power plant (VPP) by assessing magnitude and duration of electrical loads suitable for demand response (DR). In 2018, the building had a peak hourly demand of 48 W/m2 and its electricity consumption (183.2 kWh/m2/yr.) was within low to medium range of air-conditioned UK portfolio. Deferrable loads from heat pumps, air handling units, lifts, lighting, circulating pumps and dry air coolers were used to illustrate building's DR capability over a maximum duration of 4 h per DR cycle. On average, deferrable loads form 46.4% of total building electricity consumption and across a 4-hour DR cycle can be characterised as having an initial power (and stored energies) of 28 kW (401 ± 117 kWh); 109 kW (571±82 kWh); and finally 138 kW (625±18 kWh) for 100%, 41.5% and 24.6% of time respectively. Following a DR event, the HVAC ability to restore original indoor climate was found to be at least twice as fast as climatic drift during the event. A linear regression model was found to be weak in using external temperature to predict the magnitude of aggregated deferrable loads.

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