PNNL

Abstract

This paper discusses the effectiveness of deploying grid-friendlyTM appliances (GFAs) as a load-side solution for congestion management in a competitive electricity market, with the residential house ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) load used as an example. A GFA is an appliance that can have a sensor and a controller installed to detect price, voltage, or frequency signals and turn on/off according to certain control logic. By using the congestion price as a signal to shift GFA power consumption from high-price periods to low-price periods to reduce load in load pocket areas, transmission line congestion can be successfully mitigated. The magnitude of GFA load reduction and the location of the GFA resources are critical to relieve congestion on targeted lines while not causing other lines to congest. Simulation results are presented and the impact of implementing price-responsive GFAs on the power grid is also studied.