Smart Control of Water Heaters Coupled to Thermal Energy Storage

Vries, Julian (2025) Smart Control of Water Heaters Coupled to Thermal Energy Storage. Integration Project, Industrial Engineering and Management.

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Abstract

This thesis explores the implementation of a control strategy that controls an electric boiler. The controller needs to react to dynamic electricity prices and imbalance prices. Historical data from the year 2024 is used in a simulation to see the of cost-savings profits that can be made by using such control strategy. The increasing share of variable renewable electricity in Europe requires electricity consumers to be more flexible. This study evaluates whether a 100 kW electric boiler and 10 m³ thermal- storage tank on a dairy farm can be operated economically through price-responsive control. Two strategies are implemented in Python: a price-weighted linear–quadratic regulator (LQR) which uses dynamic electricity prices to determine the boiler power output. And a Model Predictive Controller (MPC) which uses both dynamic electricity prices and imbalance prices to reduce costs as much as possible. Both strategies are tested with 2024 Dutch day-ahead and imbalance-price data under realistic thermal constraints. Findings indicate that predictive, price-driven control of electric boilers might be technically feasible and financially attractive for industrial applications, particularly when imbalance price signals are incorporated.

Item Type:	Thesis (Integration Project)
Supervisor name:	Cucuzzella, M. and Vacchini, E.
Degree programme:	Industrial Engineering and Management
Thesis type:	Integration Project
Language:	English
Date Deposited:	18 Jul 2025 06:52
Last Modified:	18 Jul 2025 06:52
URI:	https://fse.studenttheses.ub.rug.nl/id/eprint/36357

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