Load Regulation Potential for Air Conditioning in Public Buildings in Hot-Summer and Warm-Winter Regions

The peak electricity load of the power system has been increasing year by year, posing unprecedented challenges to the systemic safety. Although peak electricity load last less than 100 hours annually (accounting for only about 5% of the year), traditional measures such as building peak shaving power station and expanding distribution network capacity are not satisfactory in terms of economic benefits; therefore, the power system paid attention to demand-side response, advocating for users to proactively regulate their electricity consumption behavior during peak hours. Assessment of the adjustable potential of building air conditioning loads plays an important role in policy making and power grid planning. This study analyzes the characteristics of air conditioning load in various types of buildings in hot-summer and warm-winter regions, finding that its load accounts for 39% to 53% of the total building load on a typical summer day. Further, focusing on two types of air conditioning systems commonly used in public buildings—centralized chilled water systems and variable refrigerant flow (VRF) systems—the study explores their load regulation methods and performance. Combining the assessment of representative cities in hot-summer and warm-winter regions, the regulation capacity of public building air conditioning load in Shenzhen and Guangdong Province accounts for 3.6% and 4.7% of the local grid peak load, respectively, showing huge regulatory space.