Impact of customers flexibility in heat pumps scheduling for demand side management

In the smart grid scenario, Demand Response (DR) and Demand Side Management (DSM) programs are considered as strategic to obtain a more efficient operation of the grid. The flexibility given by the final customers plays a key role to unlock the potential benefits offered by the application of these schemes. A classical example of flexible load that can be exploited for DR and DSM purposes is the electric heat pump. This paper aims at evaluating the main factors affecting the flexibility available in the management of electric heat pumps for space heating. The performed analysis allows identifying some indexes to quantify the available flexibility and highlights how the thermal comfort requirements of the customers affect the provided level of flexibility. Sample simulations show the impact of these flexibility terms on the results of a DSM program designed for power peak shaving at grid level. The possible use of the defined indexes for sorting the customers flexibility and for estimating the potential benefits offered by the adopted DSM scheme is also investigated and discussed.