A real-time optimal generation cost control method for virtual power plant

Abstract

Due to the emergence of distributed generation (DG) units, a novel conception called virtual power plant (VPP) has been proposed to deal with the new challenges. By premising the concept of VPP, this paper aims to illustrate a real-time control strategy in dispatching active power among DG units to cover variations of loads and fluctuated or intermittent active power outputs of non-controllable DG units, such as wind power generation, and further to optimize the average generation cost of VPP. Taking into account of the controllable DG capacity constraints, response to the target determined by upstream grid, and achieving equilibrium between generated power and load, a closed-loop control strategy is applied and the optimization problem can be well solved by the interior-point approach. Additionally, the simulation models on the IEEE 34 node test feeder with several controllable and non-controllable DG units installed are established, respectively. From these simulation results, it can be concluded that, the proposed real-time control approach could achieve active power control target well and make the average generation cost per kWh of VPP significantly stay low.