This summary report describes the research activities carried out by RSE as part of the 2016 Annual Implementation Plan (PAR) in the “Demand Management” project.

The project contributes to the theorization, in the Italian context, of the application of systems and tools that favor the management of electricity demand. These tools range from systems for displaying and presenting electricity consumption to the general public, to systems for optimizing the management of the demand curve on the basis of contractual electricity and energy supply prices, to the flexible management of renewable energy and consumption, including storage systems that may be able to provide services to the grid. To this end, international scenarios for the application of dynamic pricing are adapted to the Italian context, where the existence and role of aggregators are already consolidated.

The project also aims to define guidelines for the qualification of end-users in demand management systems at the Italian level and for participation in the free market, also by providing appropriate functions for the management of thermal storage and electrical devices for local energy optimization. As part of the project, thermal load control systems such as refrigerators and electric boilers are also modeled, which are useful for supporting frequency control and also act as ‘synthetic inertia’. The performance and reliability of PV modules, which are widely used to meet local energy needs, are also assessed, with a particular focus on technological solutions for innovative PV systems suitable for architectural integration. Consideration is also given to improving load forecasting and electricity production based on the most influential variables.

The project also assesses the role of occupants in air conditioning consumption and the well-known rebound effect typical of renovated buildings which improves their energy performance. The role of systems in increasing the thermal inertia of buildings is also considered. Finally, the possibility and potential for multi-energy systems to provide ancillary services to the electricity system is examined.