Energy flexibility and demand-side response are essential for the European Union to fulfil its energy transition. FLEXCoop works on how to enable the smallest but most numerous consumers in the system, the residential users, to contribute to system’s flexibility. The Local Demand Manager (LDEM) is a key component enabling houses devices to respond to aggregators request while preserving the comfort of the inhabitants.
FLEXCoop local optimisation strategies for consumers
FLEXCoop establishes an algorithmic framework to support optimised decision making for the dispatch of Explicit Demand Response (DR). These signals are personalised and based on consumers’ identified flexibility and response capability, preserving occupants’ comfort and daily schedules. Flexible residential devices (i.e. HVAC, lighting, DHW, EVs) are associated with different services based on their suitability-for-service (DR capacity, response time and duration of response).
FLEXCoop Local Demand Manager uses optimisation algorithms for intra-building demand response optimisation. It breaks down global flexibility requirements communicated by the aggregator into individual flexibility that can be offered per load at the consumer side and dispatch the corresponding control signals/ actions to the loads. It does so by following a human-centric approach that preserves comfort and indoor quality.
Local DR optimisation is a dynamic process. The defined algorithms enable the continuous monitoring of the DR event evolution, identify overrides of the implemented strategies or failures to respond and automatically revise the initially defined strategies. It is key to achieve the provision of the anticipated amounts of flexibility and in this sense, to optimize business functions and energy transactions of all stakeholders involved, while resolving operational constraints at the DSO side.
Picture: FLEXCoop prosumer-centric local optimisation
Performance of the Local Demand Manager
The device performing the Local DR Optimisation, the Local Demand Manager (LDEM) is located in each consumer’s dwelling and executes each 15 minutes the different optimisation algorithms (one algorithm per each defined strategy) and storing the results of each one on their own local data base. The result of each optimisation includes the amount of flexibility that can be obtained from each controllable asset for the next 24 hours, in intervals of 15 minutes, and the terms and conditions defined in the contracts between the Aggregator and the owner of that device.
The Local Demand Manager works complementarily with the Global Demand Manager (GDEM), another device that aggregates the flexibility of all households. The communication process begins with the third party (TSO, DSO, retailer) emitting a DR signal to the aggregator through the Global Demand Manager. The GDEM transfer this information to the LDEM, and thereby, the LDEM knows at each interval of time how much flexibility is needed and the amount that the assets under its control can provide. With the updated list of assets and the requested amount of flexibility, the Optimisation sub-process is able to elaborate a plan for accomplishing those needs. Once the LDEM has performed the optimisation process, it delivers to the Global Demand Manager, from one side, the expected flexibility to trigger the DR campaign.
When the time of the DR event has come, the LDEM sends the appropriate commands to the OSB in order to dispatch increased or decreased consumption of the selected devices, according with what it is needed.
If you are interested to learn more, Deliverable 3.5 “Prosumer-centric local optimization strategies definition” is available on FLEXCoop website.