Local Flexibility Market Design for Aggregators Providing Multiple Flexibility Services at Distribution Network Level

Abstract

This paper presents a general description of local flexibility markets as a marketbased management mechanism for aggregators. The high penetration of distributed energy resources introduces new flexibility services like prosumer or community self-balancing, congestion management and time-of-use optimization. This work is focused on the flexibility framework to enable multiple participants to compete for selling or buying flexibility. In this framework, the aggregator acts as a local market operator and supervises flexibility transactions of the local energy community. Local market participation is voluntary. Potential flexibility stakeholders are the distribution system operator, the balance responsible party and end-users themselves. Flexibility is sold by means of loads, generators, storage units and electric vehicles. Finally, this paper presents needed interactions between all local market stakeholders, the corresponding inputs and outputs of local market operation algorithms from participants and a case study to highlight the application of the local flexibility market in three scenarios. The local market framework could postpone grid upgrades, reduce energy costs and increase distribution grids' hosting capacity.

Evaluating the Economic Benefits of a Smart-Community Microgrid with Centralized Electrical Storage and Photovoltaic Systems

“…From another point of view, the large deployment of intermittent RE requires more flexibility from the network, and the short-term operational planning of the electrical network operation helps to bring this flexibility by optimally combine the power demand with RE generation. This challenge requires an accurate forecast of energy consumption, to reach the desired flexibility in energy management [54]. Historically, load forecasts have been the main source of uncertainty in the planning process, possibly followed by the occurrence of one-off events, such as the disconnection of equipment.…”

Towards Flexibility Trading at TSO-DSO-Customer Levels: A Review

“…The bilateral contracts can be negotiated between a DSO and a broker aggregating flexible resources (like the aggregator-DSO contract in [69]) or the DSO can carry out contracts for each end-user [70]. Reference [69] defined aggregator-DSO contracts as including the awards which should be given to the aggregator when it reacts to the DSO request. In [57], a DSO buys/sells flexibility contracts from/to aggregators acting as mediators between small-scale flexible resources and the DSO.…”

Smart grid lab research in Europe and beyond

“…The technology research center CITEA of Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC) is active in the areas of renewable energy generation, power electronics, (digital) energy systems, energy economics, and smart grids. Regarding the latter, CITEA especially engages in planning, architectural, and ICT concepts, monitoring, and operation systems, while also, energy efficiency, markets, and regulations are in CINEA's focus …”

“…Regarding the latter, CITEA especially engages in planning, architectural, and ICT concepts, monitoring, and operation systems, while also, energy efficiency, markets, and regulations are in CINEA's focus. [115][116][117][118][119]…”