Flexible operation of heat pumps in a decarbonised power system

Heat pumps emerge as a potential solution, leveraging the thermal inertia of building materials to provide flexibility to the power system. This paper presents a model of the power transmission system with flexible heat pumps, using the Great Britain in 2050 scenario as a case study. Four scenarios with different indoor temperature constraints are defined, to clarify the value of heat pump flexibility. Results reveal that allowing variations within the thermal comfort enables adaptive heat pump operation, avoiding energy consumption during peak times and hence reducing 28% cost. This is attributed to minimised reliance on costly hydrogen-fired generation compared to a scenario with stricter temperature constraints. Consequently, the Locational Marginal Price (LMP) of the power system with adequate flexibility is lower. Furthermore, this paper analyses the operational impact of heat pumps on other flexible units like electrolysers and energy storage units, finding a marginal effect on the latter. This is ascribed to these units’ ability to alternate between charging and discharging states, ensuring operational stability. Additionally, the study highlights the benefits of heat pump flexibility in adapting to ambient temperature fluctuations. The results illustrate that heat pumps with higher flexibility can better mitigate cost increases caused by lower temperatures.