Distribution System Optimal Operation of Smart Homes with Battery and Equivalent HVAC Energy Storage for Virtual Power Plant Controls

Battery energy storage systems (BESS) that can be utilized for demand response (DR) and load shifting are limited in adoption by high capital cost. Large residential loads such as electric water heaters (EWH) and heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) may be controlled using distributed energy resource management systems (DERMS) to perform functions like batteries, such as reducing cost and decreasing energy storage capacity requirements when implemented at the aggregate level. Increasing levels of renewable generation further incentivizes shifting loads in time through controls and energy storage to reduce curtailment and carbon footprint. This paper proposes techniques for the optimization and control of distributed energy resources (DER) using DERMS. The CTA-2045 standard, an industry communications protocol, is used for generalized energy storage (GES) controls and operations. A case study is conducted to compare discharging of residential BESS with HVAC equivalent energy storage controls and electric vehicles (EV) on a distribution feeder with over 350 houses, realistic load profiles, and home characteristics. It is shown that HVAC setpoint controls for pre-cooling through "load-up" and "shed" commands may successfully reduce evening peak load.