Two-level collaborative demand-side management for regional distributed energy system considering carbon emission quotas

Abstract

In demand response programs, users typically modify their energy consumption behavior in response to the grid. Distributed energy systems (DES) also need users' participation to ensure the efficient and stable operation of the system, especially under government-imposed carbon emission quotas. This study proposes a two-level collaborative demand-side management framework that allows users to participate in demand response in distributed energy systems, thereby ensuring that the systems' carbon emission remain within the quota while minimizing the impact on thermal comfort. Firstly, the framework realizes coordination between the supply and demand side. Changing energy use behavior not only reduces the amount of load but also enhances the system's efficiency. Secondly, different type of users can cooperatively adjust their air conditioners according to their load characteristics to achieve optimal overall thermal comfort. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated in a DES with four types of buildings, evaluated using two indoor thermal environment indexes. Under optimal guidance, the system efficiency is improved by 1.9%. Additionally, there is a 3.3% reduction in carbon emissions, along with a 13.2% improvement in overall indoor thermal comfort compared with unified temperature regulation. This study holds positive implications for users' participation in distributed energy systems to achieve energy saving and carbon reduction.