Making grid capacity available through heat pump control

Abstract: In this report the problem of constructing a bus depot with electrical buses despite the lack of grid capacity, was analyzed. A potential solution is investigated, namely smart control of heat pumps in industries. The possibility of allocating grid capacity to the bus depot by reducing power consumption in heat pumps during peak hours, is taken into consideration. The maximum amount of released capacity in an industrial area is calculated through the controlling of heat pumps. This investigation was made through simulations with a simplified building energy model (lumped capacity model) which was applied to a reference building. After mapping the area Boländerna and the geothermal wells located there, IKEA Uppsala was chosen as the reference building, since a third of the total number of wells were found in that area. To take the whole capacity of Boländerna into account, the model was scaled up to estimate the total, possible reduction of power. The bus depot requires 6 MW nighttime and 4 MW daytime, the total amount of electrical power that could be withdrawn, if all heat pumps were on maximum heat, in the chosen area were 0.75 MW and by controlling the heat pumps during an optimized level, the amount of 142 kW could be made available to the electric grid. 142 kW is not enough cover the need for the bus depot but it could supply the need for a slow charger to one of the buses and is therefore a possible sub-solution to the larger problem.