Control of Residential Space Heating for Demand Response Using Grey-box Models

Certain advanced control schemes are capable of making a part of the thermostatic loads of space heating in buildings flexible, thereby enabling buildings to engage in so-called demand response. It has been suggested that this flexible consumption may be a valuable asset in future energy systems where conventional fossil fuel-based energy production have been partially replaced by intermittent energy production from renewable energy sources. Model predictive control (MPC) is a control scheme that relies on a model of the building to predict the future impact on the temperature conditions in the building of both control decisions (space heating) and phenomena outside the influence of the control scheme (e.g. weather conditions). MPC has become one of the most frequently used control schemes in studies investigating the potential for engaging buildings in demand response. While research has indicated MPC to have many useful applications in buildings, several challenges still inhibit its adoption in practice. A significant challenge related to MPC implementation lies in obtaining the required model of the building, which is often derived from measurements of the temperature and heating consumption. Furthermore, studies have indicated that, although demand response in buildings could contribute to the task of balancing supply and demand, suitable tariff structures that incentivize consumers to engage in DR are lacking. The main goal of this work is to contribute with research that addresses these issues. This thesis is divided into two parts.The first part of the thesis explores ways of simplifying the task of obtaining the building model that is required for implementation of MPC. Studies that explore practical ways of obtaining the measurement data needed for model identification are presented together with a study evaluating the suitedness of different low-order model structures that are suited for control-purposes.The second part of the thesis presents research on the potential of utilizing buildings for demand response. First, two studies explore and evaluate suitable incentive mechanisms for demand response by implementing an MPC scheme in a multi-apartment building block. These studies evaluate two proposed incentive mechanisms as well as the impact of building characteristics and MPC scheme implementation. Finally, a methodology for bottom-up modelling of entire urban areas is presented, and proved capable of predicting the aggregated energy demand of urban areas. The models resulting from the methodology are then applied in an analysis on demand response

Hill of Banchory Geothermal Energy Project Feasibility Study Report

This feasibility study explored the potential for a deep geothermal heat project at Hill of Banchory, Aberdeenshire. The geology of the Hill of Fare, to the north of Banchory, gives cause to believe it has good geothermal potential, while the Hill of Banchory heat network, situated on the northern side of the town, offers a ready-made heat customer. The partners in the consortium consisted of academics and developers with relevant expertise in deep geothermal energy, heat networks, and financial analysis, together with representatives of local Government. They conducted geological fieldwork around the Hill of Fare, engaged with local residents to establish their attitudes to geothermal energy, and built business models to predict the conditions under which the heat network at Hill of Banchory would be commercial if it utilised heat from the proposed geothermal well. They also estimated the potential carbon emission reductions that could be achieved by using deep geothermal energy, both at Hill of Banchory and more widely

Electricity Network Scenarios for Great Britain in 2050

The next fifty years are likely to see great developments in the technologies deployed in electricity systems, with consequent changes in the structure and operation of power networks. This paper, which forms a chapter in the forthcoming book Future Electricity Technologies and Systems, develops and presents six possible future electricity industry scenarios for Great Britain, focussed on the year 2050. The paper draws upon discussions of important technologies presented by expert authors in other chapters of the book to consider the impact of different combinations of key influences on the nature of the power system in 2050. For each scenario there is a discussion of the effects of the key parameters, with a description and pictorial illustration. Summary tables identify the role of the technologies presented in other chapters of the book, and list important figures of interest, such as the capacity and energy production of renewable generation technologies

Valuing Interventions to Reduce Indoor Air Pollution— Fuelwood, Deforestation, and Health in Rural Nepal

Household energy use, forest and poverty are entangled in developing countries with environmental and health problems. Dependence on wood for cooking fuel generally increases the dependency of poor people on forests. This fuelwood consumption is not only linked to the forest environment, but also to the health of the inhabitants due to indoor air pollution. As the women are exposed more to the smoke pollution than the men, and children are more sensitive to it than adults, the issue of fuel is also linked with the gender and child issues. Fuelwood is the main source of cooking energy in Nepal and will remain so for foreseeable future. About 66 percent of households use wood as the main fuel for cooking. Only about 13 and eight percent households, mostly in urban areas, use kerosene and LPG respectively. The households using biogas as the main fuel is less than two percent [CBS (2002)]. One study shows that over 89 percent of total energy use in Nepal comes from the traditional fuels [ADB (2003)]. Wood and other biomass fuels (crop residues as well as animal dung) can substitute for each other, though most consumers have a general preference for wood over other biomass [FAO (1997)]. With socio-economic development, the fuel used by a household changes to better ones in the fuel-ladder. Everybody likes to maximise their utility by choosing more convenient and prestigious fuel subject to the budget constraint. Climbing the fuel-ladder generally means stepping up from dung cakes or crop residues, fuelwood, kerosene, biogas, LPG and ultimately to the electricity. Moving to the higher steps in the ladder means better respiratory health of the family members due to lower emission

POTEnCIA model description - version 0.9

This report lays out the modelling approach that is implemented in the POTEnCIA modelling tool (Policy Oriented Tool for Energy and Climate Change Impact Assessment) and describes its analytical capabilities. POTEnCIA is a modelling tool for the EU energy system that follows a hybrid partial equilibrium approach. It combines behavioural decisions with detailed techno-economic data, therefore allowing for an analysis of both technology-oriented policies and of those addressing behavioural change. Special features and mechanisms are introduced in POTEnCIA in order to appropriately reflect the implications of an uptake of novel energy technologies and of changing market structures, allowing for the robust assessment of ambitious policy futures for the EU energy system. The model runs on an annual basis with a typical projection timeline to 2050.JRC.J.1-Economics of Climate Change, Energy and Transpor