Estimation of the Inertia Constant of Demand in European Regions Considering Daily and Seasonal Variations Based on Statistical Information

Abstract

The future power system will contain significantly lower kinetic energy than today. As with large-scale power plants, demand provides a certain amount of the system inertia. This contribution depends on the proportion of motor loads in total demand. Knowing the demand inertia is important to study its relevance in conditions of low system inertia. For this reason, an approach is presented to estimate demand inertia in 575 European regions based on statistical information. Daily and seasonal variations in the sectoral load composition are considered, resulting in hourly time series of the inertia constant and the kinetic energy of demand. The derived values are consistent with measurement-based approaches. Looking ahead, demand could contribute up to 55 % of the remaining kinetic energy under low system inertia conditions. This highlights the need for a detailed study of demand inertia, particularly on a future trend towards inverter-baser loads.