The paper reviews different approaches, technologies, and strategies to manage large-scale schemes of variable renewable electricity such as solar and wind power. We consider both supply and demand side measures. In addition to presenting energy system flexibility measures, their importance to renewable electricity is discussed. The flexibility measures available range from traditional ones such as grid extension or pumped hydro storage to more advanced strategies such as demand side management and demand side linked approaches, e.g. the use of electric vehicles for storing excess electricity, but also providing grid support services. Advanced batteries may offer new solutions in the future, though the high costs associated with batteries may restrict their use to smaller scale applications. Different “P2Y”-type of strategies, where P stands for surplus renewable power and Y for the energy form or energy service to which this excess in converted to, e.g. thermal energy, hydrogen, gas or mobility are receiving much attention as potential flexibility solutions, making use of the energy system as a whole. To “functionalize” or to assess the value of the various energy system flexibility measures, these need often be put into an electricity/energy market or utility service context. Summarizing, the outlook for managing large amounts of RE power in terms of options available seems to be promising.

https://research.aalto.fi/files/6557604/lund_et_al_review.pdf

Review of energy system flexibility measures to enable high levels of variable renewable electricity

The smart grid concept continues to evolve and various methods have been developed to enhance the energy efficiency of the electricity infrastructure. Demand Response (DR) is considered as the most cost-effective and reliable solution for the smoothing of the demand curve, when the system is under stress. DR refers to a procedure that is applied to motivate changes in the customers' power consumption habits, in response to incentives regarding the electricity prices. In this paper, we provide a comprehensive review of various DR schemes and programs, based on the motivations offered to the consumers to participate in the program. We classify the proposed DR schemes according to their control mechanism, to the motivations offered to reduce the power consumption and to the DR decision variable. We also present various optimization models for the optimal control of the DR strategies that have been proposed so far. These models are also categorized, based on the target of the optimization procedure. The key aspects that should be considered in the optimization problem are the system's constraints and the computational complexity of the applied optimization algorithm.

A Survey on Demand Response Programs in Smart Grids: Pricing Methods and Optimization Algorithms

Emerging new technologies like distributed generation, distributed storage, and demand-side load management will change the way we consume and produce energy. These techniques enable the possibility to reduce the greenhouse effect and improve grid stability by optimizing energy streams. By smartly applying future energy production, consumption, and storage techniques, a more energy-efficient electricity supply chain can be achieved. In this paper a three-step control methodology is proposed to manage the cooperation between these technologies, focused on domestic energy streams. In this approach, (global) objectives like peak shaving or forming a virtual power plant can be achieved without harming the comfort of residents. As shown in this work, using good predictions, in advance planning and real-time control of domestic appliances, a better matching of demand and supply can be achieved.

/pdf/management-and-control-of-domestic-smart-grid-technology-4vnouaa4mi.pdf

Management and Control of Domestic Smart Grid Technology

Energy systems across the globe are going through a radical transformation as a result of technological and institutional changes, depletion of fossil fuel resources, and climate change. At the local level, increasing distributed energy resources requires that the centralized energy systems be re-organized. In this paper, the concept of Integrated community energy systems (ICESs) is presented as a modern development to re-organize local energy systems to integrate distributed energy resources and engage local communities. Local energy systems such as ICESs not only ensure self-provision of energy but also provide essential system services to the larger energy system. In this regard, a comparison of different energy system integration option is provided. We review the current energy trends and the associated technological, socio-economic, environmental and institutional issues shaping the development of ICESs. These systems can be applied to both developed and developing countries, however, their objectives, business models as well as composition differs. ICESs can be accepted by different actors such as local governments, communities, energy suppliers and system operators as an effective means to achieve sustainability and thereby will have significant roles in future energy systems.

/pdf/energetic-communities-for-community-energy-a-review-of-key-5cyrkfy2mz.pdf

Energetic communities for community energy: A review of key issues and trends shaping integrated community energy systems

Renewable energy sources are one key enabler to decrease greenhouse gas emissions and to cope with the anthropogenic climate change. Their intermittent behavior and limited storage capabilities present a new challenge to power system operators to maintain power quality and reliability. Additional technical complexity arises from the large number of small distributed generation units and their allocation within the power system. Market liberalization and changing regulatory framework lead to additional organizational complexity. As a result, the design and operation of the future electric energy system have to be redefined. Sophisticated information and communication architectures, automation concepts, and control approaches are necessary in order to manage the higher complexity of so-called smart grids. This paper provides an overview of the state of the art and recent developments enabling higher intelligence in future smart grids. The integration of renewable sources and storage systems into the power grids is analyzed. Energy management and demand response methods and important automation paradigms and domain standards are also reviewed.

/pdf/a-review-of-architectures-and-concepts-for-intelligence-in-q9us8r0svw.pdf

A Review of Architectures and Concepts for Intelligence in Future Electric Energy Systems

Different driving forces push the electricity production towards decentralization. As a result, the current electricity infrastructure is expected to evolve into a network of networks, in which all system parts communicate with each other and influence each other. Multi-agent systems and electronic markets form an appropriate technology needed for control and coordination tasks in the future electricity network. We present the PowerMatcher, a market-based control concept for supply and demand matching (SDM) in electricity networks. In a presented simulation study is shown that the simultaneousness of electricity production and consumption can be raised substantially using this concept. Further, we present a field test with medium-sized electricity producing and consuming installations controlled via this concept, currently in preparation.

/pdf/powermatcher-multiagent-control-in-the-electricity-2q4af228iw.pdf

PowerMatcher: multiagent control in the electricity infrastructure

Multi-agent technology is state of the art ICT. It is not yet widely applied in power control systems. However, it has a large potential for bottom-up, distributed control of RES and DER in future power systems. At least two major European R&D projects (MicroGrids and CRISP) have investigated its potential. Both grid-related as well as market related applications have been studied. This paper will focus on two field tests, performed in the Netherlands, applying multi-agent control by means of the PowerMatcher concept. In the PowerMatcher concept (http://www.powermatcher.net/) software agents are used as representatives of the power producing and/or consuming installations. Via market algorithms a strategy is determined to ensure, that their operational schemes are coordinated in order to balance supply and demand according to the business case. The algorithms in the PowerMatcher use a bottom-up electronic market mechanism. Building such a system, controlling primary user processes on one hand, assuring local autonomy, and operating on the electricity market on the other hand, appears to be feasible with mainstream ICT-components. We will describe and discuss a number of results from two field tests performed with the PowerMatcher concept, and discuss further developments.

Distributed Control Concepts using Multi-Agent technology and Automatic Markets: An indispensable feature of smart power grids

The PowerMatcher concept developed at ECN has proven its value in the coordination of demand and supply of electricity in different settings with respect to distributed generation and accommodation of renewable energy resources. The concept has been applied in several field tests and simulations at various levels in the power system. The agent based technology on which the PowerMatcher is built has a number of advantages above other approaches such as the flexibility of the concept to accommodate a large variety of business scenarios, the autonomy of the agents, the standardization of communication through bids and allocation, the hiding of process information, etc. Yet the field tests also have identified a number of enhancements that may lead to improved behavior of the PowerMatcher in real life circumstances. Also discussions within the power system agent community as laid down in two white papers from the IEEE Multi-Agent Systems Working Group have convinced us to focus on an architecture that enables close cooperation with other research groups in order to gain momentum for real applications. This paper will introduce a number of requirements for the next phase of development that enable the PowerMatcher to cope with new, future scenarios. The requirements lead to a number of architectural decisions that will support a more open software development trajectory.

/pdf/a-novel-architecture-for-real-time-operation-of-multi-agent-zlgsqokzht.pdf

A novel architecture for real-time operation of multi-agent based coordination of demand and supply

In the traditional operation of electricity networks the system operator has a number of ancillary services available for preservation of system balance. These services are called upon near real-time, after the planning phase. Ancillary services consist of regulating power, reserve capacity and emergency capacity, each with their own characteristics. Regulating power is deployed via load frequency control. Reserve capacity is used to release regulating power and can be called upon to maintain a balance or to counterbalance or resolve transmission restrictions. Both are traded at the Dutch energy market under an auction model with a single buyer (TenneT). Emergency capacity is rewarded on the basis of accessibility/availability within 15 minutes. In local electricity networks neither planning nor ancillary services exist. Planning is done by aggregation into large customer groups. For ancillary services one relies on the system operation as sketched above. In local electricity networks with a large share of distributed generation the costs of keeping the electricity system reliable and stable will increase further and technical problems may arise. The European SmartGrids initiative responds to these challenges in their strategic research agenda. One of the issues addressed in this agenda is the changing role of the distribution grid in which users get a more active role. One opportunity is the introduction of ancillary-type services at the distribution level, utilizing different types of producing and consuming devices in the local network, in order to make the total system more dependable. Distributed generation has a number of characteristics that are similar to characteristics of consumption. Part of it is intermittent / variable, although to a large extent predictable (PV, wind versus lighting, electronic devices). Another part is task-driven (micro-CHP versus electrical heating). Yet another part is controllable or shiftable in time. And storage can behave both ways. The main key words here are flexibility and variability. This flexibility provides a virtual storage capacity within the electricity grid that can be utilized for balancing services at the local grid. We will present how the PowerMatcher concept, developed by ECN, supports the setting up of local balancing markets in a flexible and logical way. The ICT is already available as an enabling technology. The concept has been demonstrated in several field tests.

/pdf/local-der-driven-grid-support-by-coordinated-operation-of-4hsaih67qq.pdf

J.K. Kok

Papers

PowerMatcher: multiagent control in the electricity infrastructure

Distributed Control Concepts using Multi-Agent technology and Automatic Markets: An indispensable feature of smart power grids

A novel architecture for real-time operation of multi-agent based coordination of demand and supply

Local DER driven grid support by coordinated operation of devices

Wind Turbines and Heat Pumps. Balancing wind power fluctuations using flexible demand