1,720,998 research outputs found
DER Participation in Ancillary Services Market: An Analysis of Current Trends and Future Opportunities
Full text linkIn an effort to push for low-carbon transition, national governments and regulatory authorities are working to define market structures and legislative frameworks able to effectively support the spreading of electricity production from renewables. To this purpose, the opening of national Ancillary Services Markets (ASMs) to Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) plays a key role. However, pricing schemes and rules in place (e.g., incentives) can act as a barrier to the supply of regulation services by small-sized and renewable-based power plants. In this context, the present work evaluates the economic opportunities for DERs provided by the provision of tertiary reserve and balancing control in the Italian ASM. The research is carried out through the collection and processing of price data from the Italian electricity and gas markets over 4 years (2019–2022). Considering a reference architecture where DER units bid on the market through a Balancing Service Provider, the potential revenues on the ASM of a non-programmable or partially programmable DER unit are compared to the earnings expected of a conventional power plant in order to highlight whether unfair competition can represent a barrier. Then, possible evolutions in the current remuneration schemes are analyzed, to evaluate whether they can be able to support a better DER integration. From the analysis, it emerges that, even if negative prices could be useful to increase the competitiveness of RES-based power plants for downward regulation, the loss of the incentives can act as a deterrent to the offering of services on the market by DERs. Therefore, other regulatory options, such as the incentives retention in case of downward regulation, could also be needed
IMPACT OF GREEN MOBILITY ON THE ELECTRIC POWER SYSTEM: A NUMERICAL ANALYSIS IN A 2030 SCENARIO
Full text linkIn this paper, a methodology is proposed to evaluate the impact on the Italian electric power system deriving from the increasing adoption of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs). To this purpose, a case study that involves the Lombardy region in a 2030 scenario is analyzed. To accurately estimate travel habits within the region, datasets publicly available were used, complementing them with suitable energetic models of BEVs. Detailed data about the journeys traveled by commuters in the region, distinguished by reason to move and modes of transport, were provided in input to an online routing machine to extract significant information about the vehicle’s instantaneous speed, length, and duration of each trip. This allowed for an accurate assessment of the energy and power requirements of private electric mobility in a 2030 scenario. The quantities in output to the analysis can be effectively used by transmission and distribution network operators to identify the issues that could arise on the grid due to increased demand related to electric vehicles. In addition, these analyses can support the proper design and planning of all the reinforcement actions needed on the electrical grid to improve its capability to supply the energy and power required during the charging processes
Power Demand Patterns of Public Electric Vehicle Charging: A 2030 Forecast Based on Real-Life Data
Full text linkAs the adoption of electric vehicles accelerates, understanding the impact of public charging on the power grid is crucial. However, today, a notable gap exists in the literature regarding approaches capable of accurately estimating the expected influence of e-mobility power demand on electrical grids, especially at medium and low voltage levels. To fill this gap, in this study, a procedure is proposed to estimate the power demand patterns of public car parks in a 2030 scenario. To this end, data collected from real-life car parks in Italy are used in Monte Carlo simulations, where probabilistic daily power demand curves are created with different maximum charging powers (from 7.4 kW to ultra-fast charging). The results highlight high variability in the power demand depending on the location and type of car park. City center car parks exhibit peak demand during morning hours, linked to commercial activities, while car parks near railway stations and hospitals show demand patterns aligned with transportation and healthcare needs. Business area car parks, in contrast, have a more pronounced demand during work hours on weekdays, with much lower activity during weekends. This study also demonstrates that, in some situations, ultra-fast charging can increase peak power demand from the grid by up to 210%. Given their contribution to the existing literature, the power demand patterns from this research constitute a valuable starting point for future studies aimed at quantitatively assessing the impact of e-mobility on the power system. In addition, they can effectively support decision-makers in optimally designing the e-mobility recharge infrastructure
Regional energy planning based on distribution grid hosting capacity
Full text linkIn a liberalized energy market, policymakers cannot over-impose the deployment of new distributed generators, either in terms of location or in terms of size/technology; on the opposite, they are asked to promote incentives, penalties or constraints in order to foster a generation portfolio evolution fitting with the energy need of the loads. In the paper, given a local distribution grid, a two-step procedure is proposed to define the most effective energy policy, willing to drive a proper evolution of the generation portfolio, i.e., to maximize the renewable sources exploitation taking into account the grid constraints. The approach proposed is based on a stochastic (Monte Carlo) procedure. Given a generation portfolio, many scenarios are evaluated, changing generators' nominal power, point of common coupling and also a slightly different technologies share. Actually, the final goal of the procedure proposed is to simulate the stochastic behavior of users with respect to the regional energy policy (i.e., to perform a multidimensional sensitivity analysis) in order to validate the proposed generation portfolio. In particular, in the first step of the procedure, it is defined a portfolio in which generators are aggregated with respect to the power plant technology (PV, wind, small hydro, big hydro, etc.). Such a portfolio is optimized in order to maximize the matching between local production and local consumption. In the second step, a Monte Carlo simulation is implemented to stochastically take into account a significant number of possible configurations of each portfolio (number of generators, unit size, location, etc.). Given the generator's distribution, a probability index based on a Hosting Capacity concept is proposed as a performance index. Conductors' thermal limits and slow voltage variations on the electrical network are evaluated for several generator's distributions and for different dispersed generation penetrations. The final goal of the approach proposed is to define the optimal local generation portfolio fitting both with the load profiles and with the bounds of the distribution grid already in place. Such an output resulted to be a valuable piece of information for decisionmakers in order to properly promote regional energy planning policies. In order to validate the approach and demonstrate its capabilities, the procedure proposed has been applied to the real medium voltage distribution grid relevant to the Italian city of Aosta, i.e., real-life topologies, renewable-based generation and load fluctuation have been simulated
Participation of Electric Mobility in the Ancillary Service Market: A Numerical Assessment of Expected Performance and Revenues
No full textThe paper is aimed to provide a numerical assessment of the technical performances and economic results that could be achieved by a fleet of electric vehicles participating in the Ancillary Service Market. To this purpose, the discipline currently in place in Italy for UVAM project, started in 2019, is assumed as a reference: This experimental initiative enabled distributed flexibility resources, such as dispersed generation, controllable loads, storage systems and also e-mobility, to participate in an aggregated form in the Ancillary Service Market. In this framework, the present work investigates the possible exploitation of an electric fleet to supply balance reserve to the power system. For the purpose of the analysis, the results obtained by two different numerical approaches are presented. They are aimed to prove the effectiveness of the e-mobility regulation with respect to its capability to meet the minimum technical requirements that are mandatory for the participation in the project, and the relevant economic sustainability
A Nature-Inspired Algorithm to Enable the E-Mobility Participation in the Ancillary Service Market
Full text linkIn the present paper, a tool is proposed to optimally schedule the charging requests of a fleet of carsharing Electric Vehicles (EVs) in an urban area, to enable their participation in the Ancillary Service Market. The centralized scheduler minimizes the imbalance of an EV fleet with respect to the power commitment declared in the Day-Ahead Market, providing also tertiary reserve and power balance control to the grid. The regulation is carried out by optimizing the initial charging time of each vehicle, according to a deadline set by the carsharing operator. To this purpose, a nature-inspired optimization is adopted, implementing innovative hybridizations of the Artificial Bee Colony algorithm. The e-mobility usage is simulated through a topology-aware stochastic model based on carsharing usage in Milan (Italy) and the Ancillary Services requests are modeled by real data from the Italian electricity market. The numerical simulations performed confirmed the effectiveness of the approach in identifying a suitable schedule for the charging requests of a large EV fleet (up to 3200 units), with acceptable computational effort. The benefits on the economic sustainability of the E-carsharing fleet given by the participation in the electricity market are also confirmed by an extensive sensitivity analysis
A new clustering method for the optimization of distribution networks layout considering energy efficiency and continuity of service
No full textThe electrification of final consumptions and the spreading of distributed generation have fostered the search for new and more advanced electrical grid planning techniques, considering many of the aspects affecting electrical grids operation, such as their electrical and economic performance, as well as system reliability. Distribution network clustering is defined to be the division of the utility service territory into several high voltage–medium voltage substation service areas, and it represents one of the most important steps for grids planning. In this context, the purpose of this paper is to propose an innovative clustering algorithm based on Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) formulation, able to take into account some fundamental aspects of the distribution networks planning process, such as the electrical losses along lines, the existing distribution network layout, and the reliability of the system. The approach, tested on the medium voltage network of the medium-sized city of Meran in the North of Italy, has proved to effectively manage the computational burden needed to model and optimize the structure of a complex distribution grid, as those that usually cover large urban areas
Intentional Islanding of Active Distribution Networks by GenSets: An Analysis of Technical Constraints and Opportunities
Full text linkThe willingness to improve the security and reliability of power supply to end-users, often pushed by prescriptions of national regulatory authorities, is bringing considerable challenges for distribution system operators. Islanding a portion of the public distribution network after a fault is considered a measure to mitigate the effects of service interruptions. This procedure is usually carried out by counterfeeding the grid through a generator set (GenSet). Even if this approach is widely adopted around the world, reenergizing the grid and keeping the electric island stable is not a trivial task. In this framework, the scope of this paper is to provide a set of technical guidelines for the usage of GenSets to supply public grids in emergency conditions. The goal is to highlight the static and dynamic limits of the GenSet operations and simplify their exploitation for the grid operators. The numerical analyses, which have been carried out through the RMS simulation tool of the DigSilent PowerFactory software, also aim to evaluate the technical constraints in the case of active networks, which involve distributed generation implementing regulations according to ENTSO-E and Italian technical standards
Scheduling and operation of RES-based virtual power plants with e-mobility: A novel integrated stochastic model
No full textIn the present paper, an Energy Management System is proposed to optimally schedule and operate a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) composed of charging stations for e-vehicles, stationary batteries, and renewable energy sources. The model is capable to optimize the bidding process on the Day-Ahead Market (DAM) through a two-stage stochastic formulation, which considers the uncertainties affecting the evaluation of the energy required for the next day. The stochastic scenarios are generated through a Monte Carlo procedure and clustered by a reduced domain k-means algorithm. To manage in real-time the operation of the VPP, a new Rolling Horizon mixed-integer linear programming model is adopted. The effectiveness of the tools developed is proved by numerical simulations reproducing the different operating conditions of the VPP. The benefits of the approach are confirmed by extensive analyses performed over a 4-month period. An increase of the profits of 23 % compared to a non-optimized strategy and of 6 % with respect to a deterministic optimization is observed
Flexibility Provision by an Aggregate of Electric Boilers in the Italian Regulatory Framework
No full textThe present work provides a numerical evaluation of the flexibility that an aggregate of electric boilers can supply to the power system in the Italian framework. To this purpose, the paper firstly outlines the current national regulations regarding the provision of flexibility by distributed energy resources. Then, considering the Italian discipline as a reference, a sensitivity analysis is performed on the regulating capability of an aggregate of electric boilers. In the analysis, the effects on the users' thermal comfort are also taken into account. To control boilers, enabling the provision of ancillary services, a heuristic based on a Greedy-Indexing algorithm is proposed, while the hot water usage is simulated by real data. The heuristic strategy implemented resulted to be particularly effective, enabling the provision of services without introducing significant detrimental effects on the users' thermal comfort
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