Modeling of demand side management scenarios in apartment buildings

Large apartment buildings dated from 1960 to 1992 compose 79% of Estonian residences. Since design and construction, load profile of these buildings has changed significantly: 30-50 years ago, peak loads were much lower than today and simultaneity factor values used for in-house electrical system design were different. Implementation of demand side management (DSM) and load aggregation results in additional changes in residential load profiles. Most loads are not stochastic any more, their simultaneity increases. At the same time, studies of possibilities and impacts of DSM implementation in a block of apartments where individual households are under direct mutual influence are limited. This paper describes a study in an Estonian 60-apartment building where total electricity consumption was measured, a bottom-up simulation model for the entire apartment block was developed and three different load aggregation scenarios were analyzed. Based on results, major technical barriers to DSM implementation are identified and measures to overcome them are proposed.