The increasing integration of intermittent renewable energy sources into the power grid presents significant challenges for maintaining frequency stability and overall network resilience.
Moreover, electrical loads such as refrigerators, electric heaters, and pumps, that typically operate in cyclic and interruptible modes, remain underutilized as flexible resources. The challenge lies in enabling these loads to contribute to frequency regulation without compromising their primary functionality or user experience.
In response to this, researchers from the University of the Basque Country (EHU) have developed a novel distributed control mechanism that leverages large populations of thermostatic loads to support grid stability.
The technology is an external device designed to be associated with household or industrial electrical appliances. This device continuously monitors the local frequency of the power grid. Upon detecting frequency drops indicative of instability, it can autonomously disconnect the connected appliance for brief periods, thus contributing to grid rebalancing.
This solution is particularly suitable for cyclic loads, such as refrigerators or water heaters, which can tolerate short interruptions without affecting performance. Its operation is based solely on local measurements of grid frequency and the operating status of the connected appliance.
It includes intelligent algorithms capable of prioritizing which appliances to disconnect based on cumulative operation time and thermal state, as well as coordinating smooth reconnection to avoid rebound effects.
The technology has been successfully validated in laboratory environments. The system’s performance has demonstrated its ability to autonomously contribute to frequency regulation while preserving the primary functions of the connected appliances.
Benefits:
- Enhances grid stability by enabling support for primary frequency control without requiring additional infrastructure.
- Grid-friendly integration of appliances, aligning them with future demand response incentives and regulations.
- Reduces energy costs by facilitating the widespread incorporation of renewable energy sources without sacrificing grid performance.
- Plug-and-play deployment, thanks to its external format and compatibility with a wide range of thermostatically controlled.
- Cybersecure and cost-effective, as no communication infrastructure or central optimization system is needed.
The represented institution is looking for a collaboration that leads to commercial exploitation of the presented invention.
Institution: Universidad del País Vasco (EHU)
TRL: 4
Protection Status: Protected with European Patent
Contacto: Vicente Calduch / v.calduch@viromii.com