Load control experiments with heat pumps during the winter

A description is given of the Athens Automation and Control Experiment, is a hardware and software-oriented research and development project installed on the Athens Utilities Board´s distribution system in Athens, Tennessee. The basic purpose of the experiment is to automate the distribution system and to develop and implement control strategies that improve the efficiency and controllability of the distribution system. A series of load management experiments have been performed in which individual appliance and household measurements have been taken. The emphasis is on load control experiments performed on heat pumps during the winter. The data indicate that load control of heat pumps can result in higher energy use for the heat pumps due to the operation of the auxiliary heat