Aggregate Control Strategy for Thermostatically Controlled Loads with Demand Response

The improvement of intelligent appliances provides the basis for the demand response (DR) of residential loads. Thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs) are one of the most important DR resources and are characterized by a large load and a high degree of control. Due to its distribution characteristic, the aggregation of TCLs and their control are key issues in implementing the load control for the DR. In this study, we focus on air conditioning loads as an example of TCLs and propose a simple and transferable aggregate model by establishing a virtual house model, which accurately captures the aggregate flexibility. The deviation of the aggregate model is analyzed for the model evaluation. An air conditioning DR control scheme is proposed based on the aggregate model; it has the advantage of simple implementation and convenient control for the individual units. Simulations are performed in Gridlab-D to evaluate the accuracy and effectiveness of the proposed model and control method.