A Case Study on Distributed Energy Resources and Energy-Storage Systems in a Virtual Power Plant Concept: Economic Aspects

Tomasz Sikorski,Paweł Kostyła,Michał Jasiński,Daniel Bejmert,Dominika Kaczorowska,Marian Sobierajski,Zbigniew Leonowicz,Magdalena Węglarz,Jarosław Szymańda,Robert Lis,Wilhelm Rojewski,Edyta Ropuszyńska-Surma,Przemysław Janik,Jacek Rezmer

doi:10.3390/en12234447

Abstract

This paper analyzes the technical and economic possibilities of integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) and energy-storage systems (ESSs) into a virtual power plant (VPP) and operating them as a single power plant. The purpose of the study is to assess the economic efficiency of the VPP model, which is influenced by several factors such as energy price and energy production. Ten scenarios for the VPP were prepared on the basis of the installed capacities of a hydropower plant (HPP), rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV), and energy-storage system (ESS), as well as weather conditions, in Poland. On the basis of technical conditions, it was assumed that the maximum power capacity of the ESS equaled 1.5 MW. The economic efficiency analysis presented in this paper demonstrated that, in seven years, the VPP will achieve a positive value of the net present value (NPV) for a scenario with 0.5 MW battery storage and rainy summers. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis was conducted on price factors and DER production volume. The price variable had a major impact on the NPV value for all scenarios. The scenario with a 0.5 MW battery and typical summers was highly sensitive to all factors, and its sensitivity decreased as the ESS capacity grew from 0.5 to 1.5 MW.

Highlights

The idea of virtual organizations is a concept that was created in the 1980s with the development of information technology (IT)
In [26], a techno-economic analysis for a solar PV prosumer of the residential sector in Sweden was conducted, and the results showed that the PV investor likely had a 71% chance for a 3% real return on investment, but this chance was decreased to 8% without subsidies
Scenario 2 (S2), Scenario 5 (S5), value in the forecasting period that is only equal to seven years for scenario four

Summary

Introduction

The idea of virtual organizations is a concept that was created in the 1980s with the development of information technology (IT). Terms such as virtual company, virtual enterprise, and virtual organization were introduced in works [1,2,3]. A large body of the literature was mainly created in two categories, information and communication technology (ICT), and management. Because a virtual organization consists of different users or a virtual community located at spread sites, different issues can affect it. Virtual organization management must be studied from both the human and technical aspect.

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