Electrification of heating supply will have massive impacts on the electricity grid. A highly electrified heating sector may cause large demand transient and peaks/troughs when many heat pumps are switched near-simultaneously, potentially destabilising the operation of networks. Heat supply also has complicated interdependence and interactions with other sectors such as industry and renewable power generation.
This project aims to develop models to quantify the impacts of heat electrification, to develop solutions through demand side management using heat storages, and to quantify the flexibility provided by heat storages and exploit it. Based on the obtained understanding, the project aims to establish a digital twin of an exemplar heating system that integrates heat pumps with thermal energy storage to explore and demonstrate how such flexible heating systems could manage heat demand in response to weather forecasts, and thus minimise their impact on the electricity grid collectively.
The student is expected to work on the modelling side of the digital twin, including advanced modelling of heating system (heat pump integrated with heat storage), machine learning models for heat demand forecasting, etc.
The student will have a great opportunity to work in a large consortium with researchers from Strathclyde, Herriot Watt, St Andrew Universities, and industrial partner Scottish Power Energy Power networks.