Design Considerations of a Centralized Load Controller Using Thermostatically Controlled Appliances for Continuous Regulation Reserves

Abstract

This paper presents design considerations for a centralized load controller to control thermostatically controlled appliances (TCAs) for continuous regulation reserves (CRRs). The controller logics for setting up the baseline load, generating priority lists, issuing dispatch commands, and tuning the simplified forecaster model using measurement data are described. To study the impacts of different control parameter settings on control performance and device lifetimes, a system consisting of 1000 heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) units in their heating modes is modeled to provide a CRR 24 hours a day. Four cases are modeled to evaluate the impact of forecasting errors, minimum HVAC turn-off times, response delays, and consumer overrides. The results demonstrate that a centralized TCA load controller can provide robust, good quality CRRs with reduced communication needs for the two-way communication network and inexpensive load control devices. Most importantly, because the controller precisely controls the aggregated HVAC load shapes while maintaining load diversity, the controllable and measurable load services that it provides can be used for many other demand response applications, such as peak shaving, load shifting, and arbitrage.