Integrating -Generation within the Built Environment

By Nick Kelly

London, 18th June 2009

SUPERGEN - Highly Distributed Energy Future

Overview
context detailed modelling of -generation example: -CHP performance analysis scaling up to network impacts research outcomes issues for HiDEF

Context and Issues

strong Europe-wide legislative drive for energy efficiency and the integration of low or zero carbon technologies (LZC) into buildings e.g. EPBD (2002), Zero Carbon Homes (2016), etc. however this is set against relatively little practical knowledge of

how (energy supply) LZCs perform in situ specifically integrated with other building systems how populations of LZCs interact with and affect the wider power grid

both of these issues were investigated within HDPS

Need for Detailed Modelling

lack of appropriate empirical data on LZC technology performance HDPS adopted a modelling approach to generate performance data developed detailed, integrated, models featuring the LZC device, balance of plant and building enables performance of the LZC devices to be modelled in context - accounting for the phenomena that affect device behaviour:

micro climate, space heating and hot water demand, user interaction (occupancy), control scheduling, building fabric interactions, etc.

HDPS Detailed Models

models developed for the ESP-r building simulation tool1 generic UK house types: detached, terraced, semi-detached and flat (can be adapted to represent virtually any dwelling) hydronic heating and hot water systems models inc. thermal storage validated models of LZC supply technologies: CHP (4 types), and A/GSHP, -wind turbine and PV all elements can be mixed and matched to develop model most -generation variants
1 www.esru.strath.ac.uk

Outputs
simulation produces a huge range of time-series data:

temperature within a room heat/power output of the LZC device heat and electrical output (magnitude, temporal characteristics, availability for grid interaction) also comfort, efficiency, cycling, influence of storage environmental performance (CO2)

for HDPS issues investigated included:

Example: -CHP Analysis

investigation of performance of -CHP devices in different dwelling types and the effect of storage

Example: -CHP Analysis

-CHP systems models:
T T RAD A RAD N

CHP CHP

T BUFFER TANK T

T DHW TANK

Example: -CHP Analysis

raw outputs

Example: -CHP Analysis

processed output
D e v ic e T h e rm a l E ffic ie n c y v s C yc lin g (S E ) SE On/off Cycling
Overall SE Device Efficiency Winter int. occupancy Autumn cont. occupancy Autumn int. occupancy 1 1000 Winter cont. occupancy Overall Device Efficiency Thermal Efficiency Winter int. occupancy

micro-CHP - well insulated dwelling

Thermal Efficiency (-) On/off Cycles Efficiency (-)

0 .9 1 100 0.9 90 .8 0 0.8 80 0.7 0 .7 70 0.6

0.5 60 .6 0 0.4 50 0.3 0 .5 40 0.2 30 .4 0 0.1

100
summer winter flat

Thef f = -0 .0 6 07 L n(cyc) + 0.9 3 1 1 semi terraced 2 R = 0 .8 2 5

0 20 10 0 .3 0 10 10 0 0

12

12

24

24

36

36

48 60 48 60 100 Simulation no.

72

72

84

84

196 0 00

96

Unit eff.

Simulation no. O n /o ff c y c les

Sys eff.

Example: -CHP Analysis

balance of plant, particularly thermal storage had a very significant affect on -CHP performance

reduced cycling, increased device efficiency, greater flexibility to interact with electrical network but greater standing losses, reduced system efficiency (even with well insulated tanks), negligible CO2 savings cycling frequencies and durations varied enormously depending on storage and load (dwelling characteristics)

improving dwelling energy efficiency resulted in a deterioration in the performance of engine-based CHP (increased cycling and standing losses)

Generated Profiles
Effect of buffering on power output characteristics
detached dwelling, Stirling CHP, winter, continuous occupancy, w/ buffer tank 1400 buffered Stirling unit 1200

1000

power (W)

800

each simulation also produced a power production profile for the technology being modelled typically for a characteristic climatic week at 1 min intervals
0 2000 4000 6000 time (minutes) 8000 10000

600

400

200

1.2 kW -cogen
Effect of buffering on power output characteristics
detached dwelling, Stirling CHP, winter, continuous occupancy, no buffer tank 1400 unbuffered Stirling unit

PV

1200

1000

power (W)

800

600

400

200

0 0 2000 4000 6000 time (minutes) 8000 10000

Scaling Up Network Impacts

database of realistic time series generation profiles for different dwelling/technology mixes and climatic periods (winter, summer, transition) selected profiles were used to populate a modelled section of grid (mixed industrial/residential) load flow analysis was then be undertaken to determine the performance of low and medium sections of grid under different scenarios (different penetrations and mixes of -generators) key outputs included: line loadings, negative power flows, voltage levels, transformer tap settings, etc.

Scaling Up Network Impacts

Analysing Macro Performance

24 22 20 18 16 14 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 -2 Time (transition week) Curcuit Flow (MVA) 132/33 transformer Mixed 33kV line 11kV transformer 11kV cable Residential 33kV line Remote 11kV cable

103 102.5 Voltage (%) 102 101.5 101 100.5 100 Time (transition week) 33kV supply point Residential 11kV supply point Mixed 11kV supply point 11kV substation Remote 11kV substation

Research Outputs
detailed validated models of a variety of micro-generation technologies integrated within detailed, configurable models of characteristic UK dwellings can be used from feasibility to detailed design of buildingintegrated systems published micro-performance analysis studies database of generation profiles in different operating conditions bottom-up tools and method for the analysis of HDPS published macro-performance analysis studies

Research Impacts
-CHP device models developed in collaboration with IEA ECBCS annex 42 activity led by HDPS implemented in 4 widely-used built environment simulation tools:

energy plus (US) TRNSYS (US) ESP-r (EU) IDA (EU/Scandinavia)

used by thousands of engineers worldwide used for numerous published studies into -CHP performance analysis (UK, Canada, Switzerland, etc.)

Issues for HiDEF

increasingly energy efficient dwellings and changing heat/power characteristics (zerocarbon and higher density housing) hybrid systems (technology combinations) non-domestic sector new technologies e.g. micro-demand management characterising and assessing interactions with cells and macro-level control THANK YOU