Virtual Power Plant Application for Rooftop Photovoltaic Systems

Abstract

Virtual Power Plant (VPP) systems are highly advanced and innovative systems that take complex infrastructure to work in synergy, compared to the traditional transmission energy system. The ICT component of a VPP is highly developed with vigorous algorithms that help to achieve specific functions. Identification and control either by reception of status and signaling the Distributed Energy Resource (DER) is what makes VPP a more advanced energy sharing platform. Above all, it has a business model and this makes it exceptional over traditional transmission system. VPPs with different scales and different energy system coverages have recently been applied in countries such as USA, Belgium, Germany and Sweden. Many companies are nowadays venturing into these systems as they proof to be the future of distributed energy systems that aim to integrate renewable energy with traditional energy resources, with the objective of generating energy at low cost and ensuring consumers participate in its production as proconsumers. In this paper, recent VPP applications along with renewable energy resources used have been discussed and the main components that make up a VPP system efficient have been clearly outlined. As a result of this preliminary research, potential road map of local/regional utility companies in Turkey for applicable VPP management structure and software architecture is suggested.