Laboratory demonstration of variable-speed packaged air-conditioning units for provision of frequency regulation services

摘要

Buildings are responsible for more than 73% of the total electricity use in the United States and one-third of the building electricity use is attributed to heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems. If properly used, buildings could offer significant frequency control reserves to the power grid. This paper presents laboratory test results demonstrating the potential to use variable-speed packaged rooftop units for frequency regulation services. The test unit along with the proposed feedback control represents an add-on solution that requires minimum control upgrades to enable the provision of ancillary services. Test results show that HVAC systems can provide high-quality frequency regulation services with performance scores of up to 0.95. A first-order economic analysis also reveals significant economic benefits for building owners to participate in ancillary services.