Building control and storage management with dynamic tariffs for shaping demand response

The results from a proof-of-concept study combining modern building automation systems (BAS) with dynamic electricity tariffs are presented. The use of a building automation system that optimizes the electricity demand of a retail end-consumer while managing a local battery unit and respecting all comfort constraints, e.g., on room temperature, illuminance, and indoor air quality, is proposed. The optimization is done in a fully automated fashion, i.e. without any need of action from an external operator. The study focuses on the situation of end-consumers in the city of Zurich, Switzerland. Demand shifting as well as effects on the cost of electricity consumption for different retail consumer groups, i.e. households and offices using their typical usage profiles are assessed. In-house battery systems are introduced as additional means of electricity demand flexibility. Extensive simulations (500+ full-year simulations) are performed for different building types, battery types, and usage profiles. The overall load shifting effect on the aggregated load curve of the city of Zurich is evaluated.