Flexibility Evaluation of Domestic Electric Water Heater Aggregates

TL;DR

This paper proposes a Monte Carlo-based method to evaluate the flexibility of domestic electric water heater aggregates, considering thermal models and external factors, with a case study in Italy highlighting seasonal and temporal variations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel evaluation method for aggregate flexibility using thermal modeling and Monte Carlo analysis applied to real-world data.

Findings

Flexibility varies significantly with seasons and time.

The method effectively captures external influences on flexibility.

Large aggregates show distinct seasonal flexibility patterns.

Abstract

In this paper, a method to evaluate the flexibility of aggregates of domestic electric water heaters is proposed and applied to the Italian case. Flexibility is defined as the capability of the aggregate to vary its power demand for a given time interval. The evaluation method consists of a Monte Carlo analysis, that uses the thermal model of electric water heaters and a proper elaboration of the external inputs, such as ambient and cold water temperatures, and hot water demand. The case of large aggregates defined along the Italian territory has been studied showing the dependence of flexibility on seasons and on time.