Aggregating the flexibility of heat pumps and thermal storage systems in Austria

This study analyses the challenges of aggregating the flexibility of heat pumps in Austria. Flexibility can be provided by shifting electrical load to other points in time with the use of thermal storage systems. At first the potential and typical combinations of heat pumps, buildings and thermal storage systems are described. Afterwards different operation strategies and applications in smart-grid context are discussed. To make optimal bids to the market a model is necessary that explains the thermal and electrical dynamics of the system. Therefore a thermal model is combined with an electricity market model. Load shifts can reduce the operational costs of heat pumps around 8–14 %, but can negatively affect their efficiency. At last a technical concept is discussed which allows the exchange of signals between aggregator and pool participants.