Low-carbon operation of smart distribution grid based on life cycle assessment and ladder-type carbon trading

Abstract

A large number of EVs are commonly added to peak loads without dispatch in the smart distribution grid system, and the grid system usually suffers from excessive carbon emission problems. This paper proposes an integrated approach to control the smart distribution grid system by utilizing life cycle assessment and the market mechanism. First, the system’s carbon emissions are estimated according to life cycle assessment and carbon flow theory. Then, a bi-level optimization strategy for a smart distribution grid is presented. The upper-layer operation object is the minimum comprehensive operation cost of the smart distribution grid, which is solved using an optimization algorithm. The lower-level optimization goal is to minimize the operating cost of electric vehicles, which is solved using the CPLEX toolkit. Our simulation results demonstrate that overall operating costs have been reduced by 71.11%, while SDG’s overall carbon emissions have been reduced by 49 kg. The low-carbon growth of the smart distribution grid may be successfully promoted by appropriate trading market scheduling and efficient low-carbon dispatching.