PNNL

Abstract

Deployment of CTA-2045–enabled devices is increasing in the U.S. market. These devices allow utilities or third-party aggregators to control appliance energy use in homes and could also be applied to small commercial buildings. This study focuses on a field study using CTA-2045–enabled water heaters to shift electric load off peak and toward periods when renewable resources are more prevalent (e.g., near noon for solar resources and near midnight for wind resources). The following load shifting strategies were compared to understand effects on the aggregate load shifting capabilities of heat pump water heaters and on consumer hot water supply: nontargeted (traditional), targeted (grouped, with different shifting schedules) and “smart” (adaptive control commands). The results of this study show that targeted and smart control strategies yield significantly more load shifting potential from a population of water heaters than the nontargeted approach while avoiding hot water insufficiency. However, as control commands become more aggressive, aggregators may still face challenges in meeting consumer hot water demand. The findings and lessons learned presented can benefit electric utilities and inform updates to manufacturer controls and communications standards.