A Predictive Control Scheme for Automated Demand Response Mechanisms

The development of demand response mechanisms can provide a considerable option for the integration of renewable energy sources and the establishment of efficient generation and delivery of electrical power. The full potential of demand response can be significant, but its exploration still remains a challenge mainly due to the non-homogeneity and the distributed nature of energy resources. Recent advances in information and communication technologies create new opportunities for close to real-time adaptation of the demand for electricity to the actual system needs. However, there have been many different approaches in transforming this vision into practical applications. Herewith, a novel control scheme for automated demand response mechanisms is proposed based on the application of predictive control techniques. The proposed scheme supports the large-scale implementation of demand response programs, and captures the planning phase, the real-time operations, the verification of the energy and service provision, and the financial settlement.