The real cost of air conditioning load

The significance of the air conditioning load and its impact on the daily fuel cost of electric power networks have been pointed out. A model has been developed for assessing the increase in the daily fuel cost due to the A/C load, taking into account both the system load characteristics (peak load, load factor, generation cost) as well as the parameters of the added air conditioning load (A/C peak load, starting time and its duration). The model allows for the consideration of two different control procedures used for reducing the daily cost of the power network's fuel consumption: delaying the A/C load starting time; and the utility-controlled disconnection of the A/C load for several minutes per hour. The simultaneous application of both strategies can be also simulated and economically assessed