Enhancing power system reliability through demand flexibility of Grid-Interactive Efficient Buildings: A thermal model-based optimization approach

The paper evaluates the impact of grid-interactive efficient buildings (GEBs) on power system reliability. To achieve this, a single-zone thermal model of a building is developed, allowing for the simulation of indoor temperature dynamics based on the characteristics of the building envelope and internal thermal mass. The potential of GEBs to adjust their electric consumption, recognized as demand flexibility, is integrated into the direct optimization of reliability indices, specifically Loss of Load Expectation (LOLE) and Expected Energy Not Supplied (EENS). The analysis is conducted using the proposed optimization model in two distinct case studies. In the first scenario, households do not support the power system and only optimize their energy consumption for heating and cooling. In the second scenario, households provide available demand flexibility of GEBs to the power system to enhance reliability. This demand flexibility is constrained by the need to maintain indoor temperature within limits that ensure comfortable use of the space. The analysis highlights the potential of GEBs to improve power system reliability by reducing LOLE and EENS. The primary scientific contribution of this research is the development of an optimization model that incorporates a thermal model of GEBs without assuming a generic demand flexibility for the buildings.