Integrated Energy System Modeling of China for 2020 by Incorporating Demand Response, Heat Pump and Thermal Storage

Electricity and heat energy carriers are mostly produced by the fossil fuel sources that are conventionally operated independently, but these carriers have low efficiency due to heat losses. Moreover, a high share of variable renewable energy sources disrupts the power system reliability and flexibility. Therefore, the coupling of multiple energy carriers is underlined to address the above-mentioned issues that are supported by the latest technologies, such as combined heat and power, heat pumps, demand response, and energy storages. These coupling nodes in energy hubs stimulate the conversion of the electric power system into the integrated energy system that proves to be cost-effective, flexible, and carbon-free. The proposed work uses EnergyPLAN to model electricity, district, and individual heating integrated energy system of China for the year 2020. Furthermore, the addition of heat pumps, thermal storage, and demand response is analyzed in different scenarios to minimize the annual costs, fuel consumption, and CO2 emissions. Technical simulation strategy is conducted for optimal operation of production components that result in the reduction of the above-mentioned prominent factors while calculating the critical and exportable excess electricity production. The simulation results demonstrate that demand response and thermal storage significantly enhance the share of variable renewable energy sources. In addition, it substantially reduces the annual costs and fuel consumption, while heat pump increases the system efficiency.