Smart Distribution Grid: a Market Driven Approach for the Next Generation of Advanced Operation Models and Services

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Publications

Demand response and dispatchable generation as ancillary services to support the low voltage distribution network operation

Publication . Canizes, Bruno; Silveira, Vitor; Vale, Zita

The current power systems, namely the low voltage distribution networks, have been suffering considerable changes in recent years. What appeared to be innovation trends nowadays due to technological advances and manufacturing cost reduction has become the new reality in the coming years. Thus, the growing trend of power generation by renewable sources has posed new challenges and new opportunities. Furthermore, the wide installation of “smart meters” and the interest in placing the citizens as core players into the future energy markets and systems operation improves the role of the distribution system operator. In this way, developing new and innovative methodologies to explore the potential mechanisms for providing ancillary services in distribution networks becomes of great importance, namely in low voltage levels. This research paper proposes an innovative methodology to enhance the demand response participation of small consumers and dispatchable distributed renewable energy sources flexibility as ancillary services to mitigate the voltage and congestion issues in low voltage distribution networks. A realistic low voltage distribution network with 236 buses is used to illustrate the application of the proposed model. The results demonstrate a considerable voltage profile and congestion improvements.

2022Journal article

Open access

Managing Smart City Power Network by Shifting Electricity Consumers Demand

Publication . Silva, Cátia; Faria, Pedro; Vale, Zita

Demand Response (DR) concept, introduced by the Smart Grid paradigm, is presented as one of the main solutions to mitigate the effects of the intermittency of Distributed Generation sources in the network. With this, the consumer’s role in the energy market is empowered and their flexibility is crucial. The technology advances allow bidirectional communication providing signals to the active consumers, given by the entity manager, participating in DR events to alleviate problems in the grid. The authors proposed a methodology, resorting to load shifting, to lessen voltage limit violations in some points of the grid. After the detention, the DR event is triggered and the small resources are scheduled, requesting a reduction to the active consumers. The authors believe that uncertainty in the response must be considered so, the willingness and availability from the active community are contemplated on the problem. The results show the necessity of pondering consumer behavior.

2022Book part

Open access

Single-unit and multi-unit auction framework for peer-to-peer transactions

Publication . Teixeira, Daniel; Gomes, Luis; Vale, Zita

Peer-to-peer transactions appear in smart grids as a way to enable the direct transaction of energy among end-users (i.e., consumers, producers, and prosumers). This concept promotes the efficient use of local renewable energy sources among neighbours. Several studies proposed the application of peer-to-peer models for energy communities, microgrids, and aggregators to decrease energy costs for end-users and to promote the balance between consumption and generation. In this paper, it is proposed a framework to test, and validate, using a real environment, single- and multi-unit peer-to-peer auctions. It is also proposed six lightweight fully distributed peer-to-peer auction models, avoiding the need for a central operator. The lightweight of the proposed models enables their execution in the fog-computing layer using single-board computers deployed in end-users. The proposed framework, together with the proposed day-ahead models, was tested and validated in a real microgrid with five prosumers. The results of two weeks are discussed using a comparative economic analysis. The proposed framework and models were able to reduce energy costs for the end-users, promoting competitive free market behaviours, with multi-unit models outperforming single-unit models in the overall trading efficiency and monetary profits.

2021Journal article

Open access

Primary Frequency Control Ancillary Service in Distribution Network by Coordinated Scheduling of Wind Power and Demand Response

Publication . Khojasteh, Meysam; Faria, Pedro; Vale, Zita

Frequency is the main parameter that reflects the stability of power system, and mismatches between generation and consumption. Increasing the penetration level of renewable energy resource in distribution network, and their noticeable participation level to provide the required electricity lead to a new challenge for the distribution system operators (DSO). The variable nature of renewable resources is inevitable, and this uncertainty can lead to instability of power systems. Therefore, DSO shall use more flexible and schedulable resource to maintain the security of network in the acceptable level. In this work, Demand response (DR) program is proposed as the backup resource for compensating the wind power uncertainty in primary frequency control (PFC). The proposed model specifies the required capacity of DR resource to maintain the frequency of grid in the allowable region, based on the uncertainty of wind generation. The performance of proposed model will be investigated by a case study.

2020-10Conference object

Open access

Microgrid management system based on a multi-agent approach: An office building pilot

Publication . Gomes, Luis; Vale, Zita; Corchado, Juan M.

Microgrids bring advantages to end-users and to the smart grid environment. However, adequate management software, enabling bringing to the field new energy management concepts, is not available yet. Small, single-tasked, software is usually proposed and tested while a clear overall system architecture for microgrid management required to take full advantage of the microgrids’ potential. Previous publications usually focus on energy-related problems and do not provide an efficient and viable solution for players’ representation and microgrid operation. This paper proposes a complete architecture for a microgrid management system based on a multi-agent approach – µGIM – allowing the easy implementation of different energy strategies. The µGIM agents can independently manage local resources while able to collaborate and/or compete with other agents. Designed to run in single-board computers, µGIM agents are light-weighted and easily deployed in buildings. To demonstrate these capabilities, the paper details and presents a microgrid deployment using µGIM solution.

2020Journal article

Open access