Thermal Modelling of a Control Center for Flexibility Analysis in nZEB Nanogrids

Due to the increasing share of volatile renewable energy sources, like photovoltaics (PV) and wind energy in nearly Zero Energy Buildings (nZEB), there is an increasing need for demand-side management (DSM) or demand response (DR) programs to balance the production and consumption in the grid. The flexibility that can be obtained for smart grids from such DR methods is not limited to appliances like water heaters or dishwashers but can also be achieved with space heating and air-conditioning. In such an interdisciplinary investigation, often one part is simplified, in this case, typically either the thermal models or the implemented DR strategy are very detailed. In this work, a detailed thermal model of a control center is obtained and calibrated in IDA ICE building-modelling software with measurements from a test site in Germany. Afterward, several price-based load matching algorithms are applied to the model to see the possible flexibility exploitation with the thermal capacity of this small building. Not all investigated algorithms show good performance but some of them show promising results. Thus, this model can be used for DR methods and should be extended to work with more DSM strategies and provide ancillary services.