Automated demand response of thermal load with a photovoltaic source for military microgrids

Energy consumption by deployed United States Army troops has become an important issue. There is significant fiscal cost and risk of providing diesel fuel for generators due to precautions needed to defend fuel convoys. Photovoltaics can effectively reduce fuel requirements, but without battery storage introduce additional variability in demand due to their intermittent nature. A structurally insulated panel (SIP) housing prototype, or SIP-Hut, has been developed with the potential to greatly reduce thermal load compared to existing structures. This work investigates automated demand response of the SIPHut Environmental Control Unit (ECU), which leverages the increased elasticity of the SIP-Hut thermal demand, with a photovoltaic source. The objectives are to minimize the frequency of generator operation and mitigate variability of the intermittent PV source to reduce diesel fuel consumption. A detailed thermal model of the SIP-Hut is presented and validated, and simulation results of an ECU demand response controller are presented.