The Effects of Electric Heating Load on Renewable Energy Generation Utilization : Case Study in North China

Electric heating is getting the attention of China's central government, since it is an environmental-friendly alternative approach for scattered coal burning which is a chief reason for air pollution in China. From the perspective of power systems, the electric heating load can be utilized to solve the problem of renewable energy generation curtailment. This paper puts forward a novel unit commitment model considering the impacts of electric heating load as a kind of demand response resource. A case study is executed based on the situations in North Central area in China in 2030. Results show that the problem of wind generation curtailment and solar generation curtailment can be eased by virtue of electric heating load. Besides, the cost and emission per unit of electricity are also reduced.