A Novel Framework for Characterizing the Aggregated Response of Thermostatically Controlled Loads in Distribution Networks

The elasticity of loads would play an important role in services of a future power system that heavily relies on renewable resources. Adding some levels of controllability to the loads, when deployed in an appropriate scheme, would enhance this elasticity. For thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs), either a pricing or a direct control mechanism are the usual envisioned platforms for this enhancement. For the situations that these mechanisms are not implementable, we have proposed a platform in which TCLs can become (partially) controllable. Additionally, we have provided a novel framework to determine the time-scale of the power network that such a platform can be a part of. This framework is not confined to the proposed platform, and can be used for other mechanisms as well.