Impacts of demand-control time period on distribution system and consumer comfort

Demand response (DR) is one of the central pieces of the smart grid initiative. Several DR schemes have been proposed in the literature. This work focuses on determining the benefits of DR to the power grid and the associated comfort restrictions. Based on the literature, a heating, ventilation and air condition (HVAC) system is chosen in this work as a suitable application. Demand is scheduled a day ahead and is based on the forecasted outdoor temperature, day-ahead retail price signal, and consumer preference. Different control intervals were chosen based on consumer comfort standards, and the benefits to the grid and consumer are quantified and compared. A time-sequential Monte Carlo simulation is applied to incorporate dynamic nature of the system. Outcomes show that demand response models needs to be evaluated by considering those benefits that are important to a particular utility.