Optimal energy management of grid-connected multi-microgrid systems considering demand-side flexibility: A two-stage multi-objective approach

Abstract

• Proposing stochastic multi-objective framework considering demand-side flexibility. • Providing opportunity of cost-saving and smoothing load profile by coordinated DR. • Proposed model remains the operating cost of multi-microgrid systems at its optimal. • Introducing APFDPPI index which evaluates the energy flexibility of DR programs. • Performing a sensitivity analysis on the battery scaling factor. This paper proposes multi-objective optimization framework to enhance the performance of demand response programs in distribution networks. The demand response programs are one of the main resources to enhance the flexibility of the energy systems to manage the uncertain behavior of renewable generation and demand loads. But, the uncoordinated response of customers creates a new peak in the load profile when the market prices are low. Therefore, we present a two-stage multi-objective framework that simultaneously reduces the operating costs and enhances the efficiency of demand response programs in the grid-connected microgrid systems. The first stage focuses on the optimal energy management of the grid-connected microgrid systems from the economic perspective. The second stage focuses on the demand-side flexibility to uniform the load profile. Also, we introduce the Average Power Flexibility during Peak Period Index (APFDPPI) to evaluate the energy flexibility of the demand response programs. The proposed model has been tested on a standard grid-connected microgrid, and the simulation results show that the proposed model improves the amount of energy not served by 22.12%. Also, the peak load and the load factor have been improved by 12.96% and 15.17%, respectively compared to uncoordinated demand response programs.