Residential CCHP microgrid with load aggregator: Operation mode, pricing strategy, and optimal dispatch

As the global energy crisis, environmental pollution, and global warming grow in intensity, increasing attention is being paid to combined cooling, heating, and power (CCHP) systems that realize high-efficiency cascade utilization of energy. This paper proposes a bilateral transaction mechanism between a residential CCHP system and a load aggregator (LA). The variable energy cost of the CCHP system is analyzed, based on which an energy pricing strategy for the CCHP system is proposed. Under this pricing strategy, the electricity price is constant, while the heat/cool price is ladder-shaped and dependent on the relationship between the electrical, heat, and cool loads. For the LA, an integrated demand response program is proposed that combines electricity-load shifting and a flexible heating/cooling supply, in which a thermodynamic model of buildings is used to determine the appropriate range of heating/cooling supply. Subsequently, a two-stage optimal dispatch model is proposed for the energy system that comprises the CCHP system and the LA. Case studies consisting of three scenarios (winter, summer, and excessive seasons) are delivered to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, and the performance of the proposed pricing strategy is also evaluated by annual operation simulations.