Research on Air Conditioning Load Modeling and Control Strategy Based on Virtual Energy Storage

To mitigate peak load during high temperatures in summer and reduce the capacity requirements of traditional energy storage systems, the thermal reserve capability of air conditioning-building systems can be considered as a virtual energy storage (VES) device. Based on this premise, a virtual energy storage model is first established using the thermodynamic model of air conditioning load and the human thermal comfort model. The theoretical formulas for calculating the rated capacity, power, and charge/discharge times of the virtual energy storage are derived. Subsequently, the coupling relationship between environmental parameters, set temperatures, and virtual energy storage evaluation indices is quantitatively analyzed. Based on this analysis, a virtual energy storage control strategy that considers charge/discharge rate constraints is proposed, targeting distributed photovoltaic (PV) consumption. Finally, using real PV output data as a case study, the performance of the virtual energy storage in air conditioning loads and its role in mitigating PV output fluctuations are simulated. The results demonstrate that the air conditioning load regulation strategy based on virtual energy storage can effectively stabilize PV fluctuations and facilitate the integration of renewable energy into the grid.