Participation of electric heat pump resources in electricity markets under uncertainty

This paper presents a model for calculating the optimal purchasing strategy in a day ahead market for an aggregation of domestic buildings utilising electric heat pumps (EHP) to supply low grade thermal energy (for space heating and domestic hot water). The model includes physical models of buildings and of thermal energy stores (TES). Uncertainty in outdoor temperature (hence space heating demand and imbalance volume) and imbalance prices is modelled using a stochastic programming approach, whilst uncertainty in non-heating electricity and domestic hot water demand, and building occupancy (which is a determinant of space heating demand) is accounted for through random assignation of synthetic profiles to buildings/scenarios. The effect on the purchasing costs of the presence and size of a TES and the effect of the size of the EHP are tested.