Abstract
A virtual power plant (VPP) is a special virtual unit that integrates various distributed energy resources (DERs) distributed in the generation and consumption sides. The optimal configuration scheme of the VPP needs to break the geographical restrictions to make full use of DERs, considering the uncertainties. First, the components of the DERs and the structure of the VPP are briefly introduced. Next, the cubic exponential smoothing method is adopted to predict the VPP load requirement. Finally, the optimal configuration of the DER capacities inside the VPP is calculated by using portfolio theory and genetic algorithms (GA). The results show that the configuration scheme can optimize the DER capacities considering uncertainties, guaranteeing economic benefits of investors, and fully utilizing the DERs. Therefore, this paper provides a feasible reference for the optimal configuration scheme of the VPP from the perspective of investors.
Highlights
The economic level and energy demand have continually increased, leading to deterioration of the ecological environment, global warming, fossil energy depletion, and many other serious problems for human survival and development
1k where βk is the yearly load density per hour of sk, with β1k and β2k its minimal and maximal values, respectively; E(βk) is the forecast value of the expectation of βk; and Pa is the total load requirement, which could be supplied by the distributed energy resources (DERs) inside the virtual power plant (VPP), together with the thermal power units, such as miniature gas turbines, in this paper
The optimal configuration of the DER capacities inside the VPP must consider the growth of load requirements in the long-term
Summary
The economic level and energy demand have continually increased, leading to deterioration of the ecological environment, global warming, fossil energy depletion, and many other serious problems for human survival and development. The internal control of the VPP, based on a mathematical programming model and a multi-agent system, has three different structures (centralized structure, centralized-decentralized structure, and decentralized structure) with similar purposes of optimizing the DER’s placement and sizing in a distribution system [8] The objectives of such an optimal configuration usually contains real power loss, voltage deviation, average voltage total harmonic distortion, and system average voltage dip magnitude, which could all be transferred into economic indices of VPP operations and stand for the benefits of VPP operators [13,14,15,16,17].
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