Building demand response and control methods for smart grids : a review

Abstract

Demand response provides a solution to the grid imbalance problems which restrict the use of renewable energy. Since buildings possess a high amount of flexible load, they could contribute to smart grid stability and achieve cost savings for buildings and the other participants in the smart grid. However, the research and application of building demand response are still at the beginning stage. Majority of the existing demand response studies are from the view point of the grid side, rather than the demand side. This article, therefore, provides an overview on the studies on building demand response from the view point of buildings at the demand side. It mainly consists of two parts: (1) an overview of different types of demand response programs, and the status of the demand response programs in several countries and regions; (2) a review on the control methods for demand response in commercial and residential buildings. This review intends to support the further development of demand response methods for future smart grid applications and their implementation in buildings.