A Microcontroller-Based Emulator for Domestic Energy Demand Management Studies

Abstract

Decarbonising the electricity sector requires high penetration of variable energy sources, which makes grid balancing a more challenging task for system operators. Demand-side management (DSM) is regarded as a cost-effective solution that can help grid operators exploit the potential flexibility on the demand side, to maintain the grid’s balance and enhance the efficiency of network operation. This study presents the most widely used load models and discusses the recently proposed load modelling and forecasting methodology. Subsequently, the importance of real-time (RT) simulation in power systems is discussed. This thesis aims to develop a microcontroller-based load emulator for domestic DSM studies. The load emulator developed utilising Raspberry Pi (RPi) has been programmed using the Python language, and it is capable of emulating in RT the load’s demand and the bus voltage. The network was developed in the Matlab/Simulink environment, and the steps required to prepare the network model for RT execution on the OPAL-RT platform are illustrated. The study’s offline simulation results highlight the potential applications of the conservative voltage reduction method and the DSM load-shifting technique in the residential sector to optimise grid performance. Finally, future work directions based on the developed load emulator and the OPAL-RT platform are identified.