Thermal modelling for demand response of residential buildings

Energy storage is considered as the dominant factor for the conventional grid to transition into smart grid. The current energy storage technologies have deficits in efficiency, flexibility and are not environmentally friendly. Researchers have proposed to use thermal mass of residential buildings as a medium for storing energy by modifying the behaviour of air-conditioning system. This paper presents a view on the proposed energy storage medium, thermal mass. From simulating the performance of building thermal elements using RC network representation, the possibility of adapting thermal inertia as a means of energy storage is evaluated. With analysis based on a variety of renewable energy generation and demand profile, an optimized material selection is made to further improve the efficiency of the system.