On the Impact of Heat Pumps Electric Load on the Power Consumption of Lampedusa

The present paper reports the results of a simulation study regarding the impact of the adoption of heat pumps for domestic hot water production in the island of Lampedusa (Italy). In the study, it has been assumed to replace electric storage water heaters with heat pumps at every dwelling of the about four thousand domestic end-users of the island and, in addition, to control the heat pump operation in order to enhance some parameters that characterize the quality of the generation and distribution system of the island (power peak, energy losses and voltage drop). According to the results of the simulations, while the replacement of electric storage water heaters with heat pumps is able to positively impact the island power system, the control of heat pumps, even if in great number, does not generate any evident additional advantage for the power system operation. These results are significant for better understanding potentiality and limits of Demand Response and Aggregation in the presence of high-efficiency devices.