Program 1: Integrated Building Systems
Distributed electricity generation from renewable sources, such as rooftop photovoltaic panels, does not always generate electricity when it is needed. Both undersupply and oversupply can lead to problems in the wider electricity distribution system. This scoping study will investigate the potential to integrate electrical and thermal energy storage systems of different scales into mini and micro grids, to enable greater use of distributed generation from renewable energy sources.
Program
Project leader
Dr Peter Pudney
Project status
Complete
Project period
01/2014 to 06/2015
- Publications
- Posters
- Partners
- News
CRCLCL Project Reports
RP1013: Report Scoping Study Issues Paper 2016
RP1013: Distributed Energy Storage Scoping Study Issues Paper (2016) Authors: Jessie Copper, Iain MacGill and Alistair Sproul. Project contributors: Peter Pudney and Wasim Saman.
RP1013: Scoping Study Issues Paper 2016 (776495 PDF)
RP1013: Report The viability of electrical energy storage for Lochiel Park households
Analyzes the impact and viability of distributed electrical energy storage systems for residential consumers with rooftop PV systems, using data from thirty-eight households in Lochiel Park, South Australia.
rp1013 viability of electrical energy storage (3385972 PDF)
Peer Reviewed Research Publications
RP1013: Journal Article: Statistical analysis of drivers of residential peak electricity demand
Growth in peak electricity demand poses considerable challenges for utilities seeking to ensure secure, reliable yet affordable energy provision. A better understanding of the key drivers of residential peak electricity demand could assist in better managing peak demand growth through options including demand-side participation and energy efficiency programs. However, such analysis has often been constrained by the limited data available from standard household metering, as well as typically low direct engagement by utilities with households regarding their energy use.
This paper presents a study analysing and modeling residential peak demand in the greater Sydney region using data from Australia’s largest Smart Grid study to date. The dataset includes household level half hour consumption matched to surveyed information including housing type, demographics and appliance ownership. A range of statistical and modeling techniques are applied to determine key drivers for household demand at times of network peaks. The analysis and model quantify how different factors drive residential peak demand on hot summer days. Key drivers identified include air-conditioning ownership, the number of household occupants, swimming pool ownership, and clothes dryer usage. Finally, the model is used to investigate the potential aggregate network peak implications of changes in household demographics and appliance ownership.
Read the full article here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.enbuild.2017.02.030
RP1013: The viability of electrical energy storage for Lochiel Park households
Distributed electrical energy storage can help reduce the CO2 emissions associated with the use of electrical energy, better enabling distributed generation of energy from sources such as rooftop photovoltaic (PV) systems. However, electricity distribution systems were not designed to allow power to flow from consumers to the grid, limiting how much power can be exported from rooftop PV systems. Falling feed-in tariffs are also making it more cost-effective to store excess PV energy on site, rather than export excess energy to the grid and then import it later at a higher cost.
This study determines the impact and viability of distributed electrical energy storage systems for residential consumers with rooftop PV systems. It uses PV generation and the total power being drawn by electrical appliances for thirty-eight households at Adelaide’s Lochiel Park, a housing development of about 100 homes designed to demonstrate low energy and low water consumption housing. The study simulates energy storage and calculates the impact of this on the amount and cost of imported electricity. It shows energy storage can be used to reduce the overall cost of imported energy, and that decreasing feed-in tariffs and decreasing the cost of energy storage will lead to an uptake of energy storage systems over the next few years.
rp1013 viability of electrical energy storage (3385972 PDF)
CRCLCL Project Posters
RP1013: Research Snapshot Poster
Participants Annual Forum 2014, A3 size.
Research Snapshot Poster - RP1013 (238070 PDF)
RP1013: Student Poster 2014
Hua Fan, Participants Annual Forum 2014, A2 size.
Student Poster 2014 - RP1013 (6614430 PDF)
RP1013: Student Poster 2016
Impact of PV on net residential energy demand and peak demand?
Hua Fan, Participants Annual Forum 2016.
Hua Fan Student Poster 2016 RP1013 (557849 PDF)
Project partners
- UNSW - Sydney
- University of South Australia
RP1013: News Article: Beating the heat through retrofitting
Heatwaves are called the silent killer because of their huge but sudden death toll.
Read the full article: https://retrofit.partica.online/retrofit/volume-4-issue-2-2015/flipbook/44/
Statistical analysis of driving factors of residential energy demand in the greater Sydney region, Australia
15 October 2015
The residential sector represents some 30% of global electricity consumption but the underlying composition and drivers are still only poorly understood.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378778815301419
New study reveals ducted air-conditioning and pools drive Sydney’s residential electricity demand
17 August 2015
The first comprehensive modelling study to pinpoint the highest drivers of a typical Sydney household’s daily electricity demand has been published online in Elselvier’s international journal Energy and Buildings, revealing that ducted air-conditioning and pools are the top culprits.
Undertaken by the School of Photovoltaic and Renewable Energy Engineering at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and funded by the CRC for Low Carbon Living (CRCLCL), the study used data from Australia’s first large-scale smart grid project (Australian Smart Grid Smart City) and associated household surveys conducted on driving factors such as household demographics, dwelling type, utilities, white goods, weather, behaviours and attitude.
CRCLC Integrated Buildings Systems Program Leader and study co-author, Associate Professor Alistair Sproul said the results will help policy makers and planners measure the impact of different housing types and housing trends on local electricity demand.
“We found that air-conditioning and pools were the top two drivers as the study showed households with ducted air-conditioning used on average 79% more electricity than those with none, while those with a split air-conditioning system consumed some 34% more. Pool pumps were also a big energy user as 15% of households surveyed had a pool and their annual average daily electricity demand was 93% higher than those without,” he said.
“Overall the data collected showed a variety of patterns and behaviours for different households and residential building types so when planning for new dwellings we can accurately measure the future energy demand and find ways to make a residential building project more energy efficient.
