Automated Facility Demand Response
Vision
Demand Response (DR) to reduce or shift electricity can improve electric grid reliability and manage electricity costs. Fully automated load reductions in a large number of facilities could increase the availability of DR, decrease costs to initiate sheds, and allow for strategic dispatch (geographical, rotating, or price-based strategies).
Research Questions
- What are the capabilities of today's control and communications systems to receive remote signals and execute fully automated electric load-shedding sequences?
- What sort of signal and method of communication is feasible?
- What control strategies and sequences maximize electric load sheds while minimizing any loss of service?
Methods
Technology Development
- Tests use Infotility Electric Price Server.
- Signal development with XML (eXtensive Mark-up Language) schema with Energy Information System Web Services or Internet Protocol Relay Field Tests.
- Recruit facilities, define shed strategies and shed measurement plans.
- 2003 — 5 buildings, over 1 million ft2
- 2004 — 40 buildings, over 10 million ft2
Establish Connectivity
- Internet Protocol Relay (IP Relay) from Price Server.
- Internet to Web-based Energy or Energy Information System Gateway.
Automated Demand Response Test
- LBNL defines and sends price schedule to price server.
- Price published on server.
- Polling clients request price every few minutes.
- Energy Management Control System carries out shed based on price.
Findings
Fully automated DR is technically feasible with minor enhancements to current state-of-the-art technology.
- New Internet technology enhances the capabilities of existing building systems to enable demand response.
- Large facilities support the objectives of DR.
- New knowledge is needed to procure and operate technology and strategies for DR.
The overall goal of the "Automated Facility Demand Response" research project is to support increased penetration of demand response (DR) in large facilities through the use of automation and better understanding of DR technologies and strategies in large facilities. To achieve this goal, additional field studies will be conducted to examine Auto-DR in a larger number of buildings with different types of building systems. The factors of interest include control system types; energy information systems; HVAC, lighting, and other building systems; climates; ownership types; and usage/occupancy patterns. This task builds on previous work funded by the Energy Commission to develop, demonstrate, and evaluate automated DR systems. The specific objectives of this Phase 2 will be:
- How large is the electric shed in the five Phase 1 buildings under warm weather (how dependent are the savings on weather)
- How large of a fully automated shed is possible from the five Phase 1 buildings?
- How can this system be scaled up to allow more buildings to participate?
- How can the system architecture be improved and scaled up (e.g., security, throughput, etc.)?
The re-test of the five Phase I buildings will take place in September 2004. The scaled up test, which will expand the number of buildings tested, is planned for October 2004.
Team Members
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory:
| Mary Ann Piette | LBNL | ||
| Girish Ghatikar | LBNL | GGhatikar[at]lbl[dot]gov | |
| Sila Kiliccote | LBNL | SKiliccote[at]lbl[dot]gov |
Subcontractors:
| Dan Hennage | Akuacom | dan[at]akuacom[dot]com |
Project-Related Publications
Related Reports
Related Links:
| Request for Participation — Summer 2004 Study | Download, 110KB, 2pp |
| Article about the Phase 1 Test | http://www.lbl.gov/Science-Articles/Archive/EETD-demand-response.html |