Broadcasting control of intelligent air conditioners using power line carrier technology

This paper proposes an broadcasting control system of intelligent air conditioners using the narrowband power line carrier (NPLC) technology. The communication protocol, Smart Energy Profile SEP 1.0, is applied for the master station to issue the command to each air conditioner over power lines. The function of demand response can also be executed via the proposed system. To verify the communication performance of control signal using PLC technology, the field tests of NPLC over power lines and across transformers are executed. By integrating PLC with the existing optical fiber network of the distribution automation system (DAS) in Taiwan Power Company, a hybrid communication system for Smart Grid applications is built and tested to support the control of air conditioners and the demand response programs. It is found that the energy conservation by reducing the system peak loading can be achieved when the proposed system is applied for the remote thermal setting of air conditioners in the commercial section. The power consumption of various types of loads can also be collected and reported to the control center using the two-way communication provided by the proposed system.