Vecchi Andrea, Brear Michael John
Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
Melbourne Energy Institute (MEI) and Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia.
iScience. 2025 May 12;28(6):112631. doi: 10.1016/j.isci.2025.112631. eCollection 2025 Jun 20.
Household thermal demand supply through electricity could reduce emissions, but also compromise the operation of electricity distribution networks. In this work, suitable electricity tariff designs and household thermal management are investigated, individually and in combination, as ways to enhance network operability, support electrification, and improve system-level performance. Optimization results from eight combinations of building type, vintage, and climates in Australia show considerable social benefits resulting from the measures explored. Electricity tariffs that include a demand charge contain peak loads without increasing household costs. Furthermore, emission and cost savings from looser thermostat setpoints and building pre-heating/cooling are demonstrated. These are also found to reduce the upfront investment in household electrification to levels comparable with current, dual-fuel (electricity and natural gas) practices. Subject to the degree of occupants' acceptance and policy adoption, a significant potential to mitigate, and even avoid, anticipated network strain, while tackling pressing affordability and decarbonization challenges is demonstrated.
通过电力满足家庭热需求可以减少排放，但也可能影响配电网的运行。在这项工作中，分别研究了合适的电价设计和家庭热管理以及二者的组合，作为提高电网可操作性、支持电气化和改善系统级性能的方法。澳大利亚八种建筑类型、年代和气候组合的优化结果表明，所探索的措施带来了可观的社会效益。包含需求收费的电价可控制峰值负荷，而不会增加家庭成本。此外，还证明了放宽恒温器设定点和建筑物预热/冷却可实现减排和成本节约。研究还发现，这也可将家庭电气化的前期投资降低到与当前双燃料（电力和天然气）使用相当的水平。根据居住者的接受程度和政策采用情况，在应对紧迫的可负担性和脱碳挑战的同时，展示了缓解甚至避免预期电网压力的巨大潜力。
