Controlling price-responsive heat pumps for overload elimination in distribution systems

This paper investigates the possibility of applying electric heat pumps with the control-by-price-concept in order to avoid overload in a local distribution system. The proposed control algorithm is based upon a centrally dispatched real-time market price, reflecting the state of a larger power system, and is extended with a local price control for overload elimination on the corresponding feeder. The paper presents the mathematical models of a two-node system with price-responsive heat pumps, the chosen methodology of the central price calculation, and the proposed local feedback control architecture. The simulations of overload elimination have been carried out in Matlab. The results show the possibility of such auxiliary service by flexible units, which could be used for peak shaving in order to minimize the necessary oversizing of the power system components.