An Innovative Smart Grid Framework for Integration and Trading

Abstract

Smart Grids (SGs) are at the forefront of the renewable resources transformative change for power generation. Due to its decentralised energy generation approach and potential reduction of the cost of power, its relevance for the energy sector is insurmountable. However, new business models and processes are necessary, and they come with integration, implementation, and operation-specific challenges. This work offers a broad analysis of SG’ main architectural aspects concerning security issues, integration bottlenecks and standardisation shortcomings in the development of an efficient platform for local energy (generation and storage) surplus trading. Through a multi-layered smart grid architecture description, this work develops an in-depth depiction of the interoperability between these layers (from top business layer passing through information and communications layers, and down to generation and storage layers). Therefore, this paper encompasses a comprehensive framework to address central smart grids design aspects and suggests a path to integrate the smart grid components into a cohesive and manageable trading platform. Finally, this work demonstrates how the proposed framework can be applied to real market study cases to highlight its solutions, provide a critical evaluation of potential implementation pitfalls, and identify opportunities for further stateof-the-art research.

Social innovation for community energy in developing countries – new models and a Mozambican case study

“…Additionally, the module "demand/response and dynamic pricing" provides usage-based information to support the intelligence behind renewable energy pricing and demand. [45], [46] With that, the CENTS platform can develop data-driven support for local policies and optimal operation. This is the core module for the establishment of CE as it provides the information to support local policymakers, energy trading and all business rules that will define the CE behaviour and relationships (both internally and externally).…”

Energy Transition X Energy Inclusion: A Community Energy Concept for Developing Countries

“…As discussed in [8], [44], such implementations usually require high integration of information technology, telecommunications, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors and some level of automation. With that, the community energy can significantly enhance its responsiveness to scenarios with intermittent DER, provide high reliability compliance, reduce the impact on the environment and become compatible with new energy markets standards and good practices.…”

“…When the energy donated or sold (under the terms described previously) is available in the community storage, local community management, such as in [8], will ensure the supply of energy exclusively for economic enterprises that generate income, jobs, and produce goods and services. Emerging technologies, such as Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and blockchain implementations, present in such solutions [8] can guarantee generation, consumption, and transaction tracking and validation to support control and proper energy management and distribution. Additionally, Machine Learning (ML) algorithms can help predict the energy generation outcome and proper distribution and consumption policies for the community energy.…”

“…In the process of transition from energy sources based on fossil fuels to the use of renewable energy sources, the concept of community energy -or Community Self-Consumption (CSC) -gained prominence in academic research [7], with several projects addressing the related new technologies, policies, and paradigms under development across the world [8].…”