Thermal Grid Consumer Segmentation for Fair Energy Distribution
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Solution Overview
Problem
District heating and cooling (DHC) networks face challenges in ensuring fairness among consumers during extreme weather conditions and periods of high demand, leading to potential thermal discomfort and inefficiencies in energy distribution.
Innovation Solution
A computer-implemented method categorizes consumers into beneficiaries and facilitators based on network models and constraints, generating signals for temperature set-point adjustments to balance energy distribution, allowing facilitators to adaptively modify their set-points to assist in satisfying the demands of beneficiaries, thereby ensuring fairness and optimizing energy use.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If thermal comfort is prioritized for all consumers during high demand periods, then consumer satisfaction is improved, but energy supply becomes insufficient and operational costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments consumers into two distinct groups: facilitators (those willing to temporarily reduce thermal comfort) and beneficiaries (those who maintain full thermal comfort). This segmentation allows the system to distribute thermal energy differently across consumer groups, enabling supply to meet demand during high-load periods by voluntarily reducing overall consumption through facilitators.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by providing different thermal comfort levels to different consumer groups based on their characteristics and willingness to participate. Facilitators receive reduced thermal comfort while beneficiaries receive full thermal comfort, creating localized quality differences that optimize overall energy distribution and consumer satisfaction.
2Ease of operation
If uniform thermal comfort is provided to all consumers, then fairness is improved, but energy distribution efficiency deteriorates during peak demand
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements fairness through segmentation by creating a voluntary participation model where consumers are divided into facilitators and beneficiaries. This segmented approach maintains fairness by giving all consumers a voice in the process while improving energy distribution efficiency by allowing facilitators to reduce their consumption during peak periods, thereby freeing up energy for beneficiaries.
3Productivity
If demand response is implemented to reduce peak loading, then energy distribution efficiency is improved, but thermal comfort of consumers deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by segmenting consumers so that demand response measures are applied only to facilitators who voluntarily agree to reduce thermal comfort. Beneficiaries maintain full thermal comfort while the system achieves improved energy distribution efficiency through the collective participation of facilitators during peak demand periods.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by allowing different thermal comfort levels in different consumer groups. Facilitators experience reduced thermal comfort as a local quality adjustment that enables overall system efficiency, while beneficiaries maintain their thermal comfort levels, creating localized quality differences that balance efficiency and comfort requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
Methods, systems, and computer program products for ensuring fairness in the operation of thermal grids are provided herein. A computer-implemented method includes generating one or more models derived from information pertaining to a heating and cooling network, wherein the heating and cooling network comprises multiple consumers; categorizing each of the multiple consumers into one of two groups based on (i) one or more objectives of the heating and cooling network, (ii) the one or more generated models, and (iii) one or more constraints; generating a signal to be sent to each of the consumers categorized within a first of the two groups, wherein the signal comprises a temperature set-point adjustment proposal; and outputting the signals to the consumers categorized within the first of the two groups.