| The objective of the present project is to develop solutions to improve energy efficiency in electric grids. The basic approach adopted in this research is based on a new concept in the Smart Grid, namely Demand/Response Optimization, which enables the implementation of the autonomous demand side energy management for a big variety of consumers, ranging from homes to buildings, factories, commercial centers, campuses, military bases, and even micro-grids.;Keywords: Optimal load scheduling, Peak-load shaving, Autonomous Demand-Side Management (DSM), Smart Buildings, Demand/Response, Energy efficiency.;The first part of this thesis presents the topic of the Smart Grid and assesses the state of the art with respect to the scopes of the project. Afterward, we introduce an architecture for autonomous demand side load management composed of three main layers, of which two, online scheduling and minimum-cost scheduling, are fully addressed, while the third layer, Demand/Response, is left as future extension. Such architecture takes advantage of time-scale separation of energy consumption. It is scalable and flexible. The second part of this project is focused on the implementation of the proposed architecture in Matlab/Simulink and a proof of concept is given through simulations and experimental results. |
