A Comprehensive Review on Residential Demand Side Management Strategies in Smart Grid Environment

Optimising peak energy reduction in networks of buildings

Buildings are amongst the world's largest energy consumers and simultaneous peaks in demand from networks of buildings can decrease electricity system stability. Current mitigation measures either entail wasteful supply-side over-specification or complex centralised demand-side control. Hence, a simple schema is developed for decentralised, self-organising building-to-building load coordination that requires very little information exchange and no top-down management-analogous to other complex systems with short range interactions, such as coordination between flocks of birds or synchronisation in fireflies. Numerical and experimental results reveal that a high degree of peak flattening can be achieved using surprisingly small load-coordination networks. The optimum reductions achieved by the simple schema can outperform existing techniques, giving substantial peak-reductions as well as being remarkably robust to changes in other system parameters such as the interaction network topology. This not only demonstrates that significant reductions in network peaks are achievable using remarkably simple control systems but also reveals interesting theoretical results and new insights which will be of great interest to the complexity and network science communities.

A Survey of Efficient Demand-Side Management Techniques for the Residential Appliance Scheduling Problem in Smart Homes

The residential sector is a major contributor to the global energy demand. The energy demand for the residential sector is expected to increase substantially in the next few decades. As the residential sector is responsible for almost 40% of overall electricity consumption, the demand response solution is considered the most effective and reliable solution to meet the growing energy demands. Home energy management systems (HEMSs) help manage the electricity demand to optimize energy consumption without compromising consumer comfort. HEMSs operate according to multiple criteria, including electricity cost, peak load reduction, consumer comfort, social welfare, environmental factors, etc. The residential appliance scheduling problem (RASP) is defined as the problem of scheduling household appliances in an efficient manner at appropriate periods with respect to dynamic pricing schemes and incentives provided by utilities. The objectives of RASP are to minimize electricity cost and peak load, maximize local energy generation and improve consumer comfort. To increase the effectiveness of demand response programs for smart homes, various demand-side management strategies are used to enable consumers to optimally manage their loads. This study lists out DSM techniques used in the literature for appliance scheduling. Most of these techniques aim at energy management in residential sectors to encourage users to schedule their power consumption in an effective manner. However, the performance of these techniques is rarely analyzed. Additionally, various factors, such as consumer comfort and dynamic pricing constraints, need to be incorporated. This work surveys most recent literature on residential household energy management, especially holistic solutions, and proposes new viewpoints on residential appliance scheduling in smart homes. The paper concludes with key observations and future research directions.

Investigating Optimum Cooling Set Point Temperature and Air Velocity for Thermal Comfort and Energy Conservation in Mixed-Mode Buildings in India

In warm and hot climates, ceiling fans and/or air conditioners (ACs) are used to maintain thermal comfort. Ceiling fans provide air movement near the skin, which enhances the evaporation of sweat, reduces heat stress, and enhances thermal comfort. This is also called the cooling effect. However, AC usage behaviour and the effects of elevated air speed through the use of ceiling fans on indoor operative temperature during AC usage are not widely studied. This study investigated the optimum AC (cooling) set point temperature and air velocity necessary for maintaining thermal comfort while achieving energy conservation, in mixed-mode buildings in India, through field studies by using used custom-built Internet of Things (IOT) devices. In the current study, the results indicate a 79% probability that comfort conditions can be maintained by achieving a temperature drop of 3K. If this drop can be achieved, as much as possible, through passive measures, the duration of AC operation and its energy consumption are reduced, at least by 67.5 and 58.4%, respectively. During the air-conditioned period, there is a possibility that the cooing effect is reduced because of increase in operative temperature due to ceiling fan operation. Therefore, the optimum solution is to maintain the highest AC set point and minimum fan speed setting that are acceptable.

A Digital Twin Architecture Model Applied with MLOps Techniques to Improve Short-Term Energy Consumption Prediction

Using extensive databases and known algorithms to predict short-term energy consumption comprises most computational solutions based on artificial intelligence today. State-of-the-art approaches validate their prediction models in offline environments that disregard automation, quality monitoring, and retraining challenges present in online scenarios. The existing demand response initiatives lack personalization, thus not engaging consumers. Obtaining specific and valuable recommendations is difficult for most digital platforms due to their solution pattern: extensive database, specialized algorithms, and using profiles with similar aspects. The challenges and present personalization tactics have been researched by adopting a digital twin model. This study creates a different approach by adding structural topology to build a new category of recommendation platform using the digital twin model with real-time data collected by IoT sensors to improve machine learning methods. A residential study case with 31 IoT smart meter and smart plug devices with 19-month data (measurements performed each second) validated Digital Twin MLOps architecture for personalized demand response suggestions based on online short-term energy consumption prediction.

DC Nanogrids for Integration of Demand Response and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructures: Appraisal, Optimal Scheduling and Analysis

With the development of electronic infrastructures and communication technologies and protocols, electric grids have evolved towards the concept of Smart Grids, which enable the communication of the different agents involved in their operation, thus notably increasing their efficiency. In this context, microgrids and nanogrids have emerged as invaluable frameworks for optimal integration of renewable sources, electric mobility, energy storage facilities and demand response programs. This paper discusses a DC isolated nanogrid layout for the integration of renewable generators, battery energy storage, demand response activities and electric vehicle charging infrastructures. Moreover, a stochastic optimal scheduling tool is developed for the studied nanogrid, suitable for operators integrated into local service entities along with the energy retailer. A stochastic model is developed for fast charging stations in particular. A case study serves to validate the developed tool and analyze the economical and operational implications of demand response programs and charging infrastructures. Results evidence the importance of demand response initiatives in the economic profit of the retailer.

Optimized Economic Load Dispatch with Multiple Fuels and Valve-Point Effects Using Hybrid Genetic–Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm

Economic Load Dispatch (ELD) plays a pivotal role in sustainable operation planning in a smart power system by reducing the fuel cost and by fulfilling the load demand in an efficient manner. In this work, the ELD problem is solved by using hybridized robust techniques that combine the Genetic Algorithm and Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm, termed the Hybrid Genetic–Artificial Fish Swarm Algorithm (HGAFSA). The objective of this paper is threefold. First, the multi-objective ELD problem incorporating the effects of multiple fuels and valve-point loading and involving higher-order cost functions is optimally solved by HGAFSA. Secondly, the efficacy of HGAFSA is demonstrated using five standard generating unit test systems (13, 40, 110, 140, and 160). Finally, an extra-large system is formed by combining the five test systems, which result in a 463 generating unit system. The performance of the developed HGAFSA-based ELD algorithm is then tested on the six systems including the 463-unit system. Annual savings in fuel costs of $3.254 m, $0.38235 m, $2135.7, $9.5563 m, and $1.1588 m are achieved for the 13, 40, 110, 140, and 160 standard generating units, respectively, compared to costs mentioned in the available literature. The HGAFSA-based ELD optimization curves obtained during the optimization process are also presented.