Aggregate Impact Analysis of Demand Response Programs, Electric Vehicles, and Combined Heat and Power Units on Integrated Management of Industrial Virtual Power Plant

Abstract

Efficient utilization of existing energy resources within smart industrial grids constitutes an indispensable part of any energy management system (EMS). In this regard, virtual power plants (VPPs) play a crucial role in smart exploitation of available generated power. The present paper offers a new and exciting perspective at the EMS of Industrial VPPs (IVPPs). The grid management simultaneously makes use of demand response (DR) loads and electric vehicles (EVs) deployed at parking spaces. The EMS follows the objective of maximizing overall profit of its assemblage. At the same time, the EMS endeavors to augment the grid reliability at peak conditions and reduce load shedding of industrial centers. Naturally, there are uncertainties in such parameters as electricity market prices, EVs, and renewable energy production sources. Thus, a random-based energy management problem approach is adopted. To validate, the proposed method is experimented on the second zone of the modified IEEE-RTS standard network. The simulations reveal that the EVs’ presence in dedicated parking spaces can bring about a dramatic increase in the storage capacity of the IVPPs. This causes a reduction in the use of network’s overall power capacity. In fact, a prominent feature of the EMS is constant use of DR programs and selecting best one for each IVPP at different time hours. On the whole, the adopted procedure gives rise to a general reduction in network’s operational costs, considerable de-peaking as well as enhanced performance of EVs at parking spaces.