Frequency support by distributed demand side management of building cooling systems

The increasing generation of electric power from renewable energy resources is jeopardizing supply safety and security of the electricity network. Therefore the implementation of new control and management strategies is required to achieve their integration and maintain a permanent balance between power generation and demand. This paper investigates the possibility for electrical loads connected to the grid to actively participate to primary frequency regulation activities. Electrical loads can contribute to frequency regulation by changing their power demand when they are asked to take part to control actions. A simplified model of electricity grid is proposed, including network inertia, generator, frequency controller and a thermal load represented by the air cooling system of a group of buildings. Simulations are performed to show the significant decrease of frequency variations thanks to the active participation of the thermal load in case of sudden changes in power demand.