Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) Control Strategies Testing and Validation: Design of a Laboratory Setup for Power Hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) considering Multi-timescale Co-Simulation at the Smart Grids Test Lab, Morocco

In the context of advancing Home Energy Management Systems (HEMS) technology and optimizing residential energy management, this paper introduces the design of a laboratory setup at the Smart Grids Test Lab (SGTL) to rigorously test and validate HEMS control strategies. Leveraging the principles of real-time simulation, this setup integrates Power Hardware-in-the-Loop (PHIL) simulation with a multi-timescale co-simulation framework, allowing for comprehensive and multifaceted evaluation of HEMS control strategies in dynamic and realistic scenarios. The laboratory configuration encompasses a range of interconnected components, including AC and DC power sources, variable loads, a solar PV emulator, a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) emulator, a Digital Real-Time Simulator (DRTS), and a supervisory controller. The pivotal feature of the setup lies in i) its integration of real-time simulation principles, which ensures that the simulation and physical components operate synchronously with actual time, as well as ii) co-simulation to consider the multi-energy aspect of residential buildings and associated appliances (electricity, heat, gaz, etc.). Consequently, HEMS control strategies can be subjected to varying conditions such as weather fluctuations, generation profiles, electricity and heat consumption profiles, tariff schemes, and user preferences, allowing for a comprehensive evaluation of their capabilities. Furthermore, this paper incorporates a HEMS case study from a prior work of the team to give a practical applicability and relevance to the proposed laboratory setup.