Decentral Load Control for Grid Stabilization

Abstract

Renewable energies lead to a decentralization of power generation but also to a destabilization of the power grid, as photovoltaic or wind turbine systems provide nearly zero inertia that is essential for a stable power grid. Leveraging consumer devices to support already present grid control systems counter the growing grid instability. These devices may adapt their power consumption continuously, rather than erratic on-off switching, to provide a grid-friendly stabilization effect. Simulations with a grid model of Continental Europe and multiple consumer load control schemes with different consumer-impact levels were performed to analyze stabilization effect and user tolerability. The results show effective stabilization by the tested consumer load control schemes during a reference incident, allowing them to be used for various devices and device groups. Additional, the simulations proved the scalability of the proposed control algorithms.