Local demand response and load planning system for intelligent domestic appliances

An energy management system for intelligent domestic appliances is presented, optimizing the operation of appliances in an environment with time-variable energy tariffs. In a standalone operation this results in a least-cost operation of the appliance. As these time-variable tariffs reflect the availability of generated power, particularly of renewables, the proposed system helps consuming electrical energy when renewable generation is high and vice versa. By static load shifting the process cost can be lowered. The proposed system guarantees the same process results tough operation programs are different or the process is interrupted. By this the load shifting potential is maximized. Besides the standalone mode, the proposed system can be the viewed as lowest level optimizer in a hierarchical optimization structure spanning from the domestic appliance over the complete household up to the local distribution grid or even further. In this operation mode the optimizer pre-optimizes the possible operation programs and starting times of the appliance and sends a set of possible optimal and near-optimal solutions to the household energy management system. By pre-optimizing the resulting load flexibilities and offering them to the household level optimizer, these flexibilities can be used for peak shaving or valley filling on that or even on a higher level.