In the face of increasingly frequent and intense extreme weather events, power systems worldwide are grappling with supply-demand imbalances and heightened risk of outages. A team of researchers from the University of Edinburgh, including Edward Moroshko, Weizhe Qin, Desen Kirli, Mohammed Qais, Sotirios Tsaftaris, and Aristides Kiprakis, has developed a advanced control strategy to bolster grid resilience. Their work focuses on coordinating Virtual Power Plants (VPPs), which integrate photovoltaic (PV) systems, batteries, and loads, to maintain stability before, during, and after extreme weather events.
The researchers have created a Model Predictive Control (MPC) framework that prioritizes customer needs, ensuring critical loads are served first while minimizing operating costs and PV curtailment. This is achieved through a multi-objective mixed-integer quadratically constrained program that considers network and device constraints. The MPC framework’s effectiveness was demonstrated using the IEEE 33-bus distribution network and real UK heatwave data. Simulations showed that MPC improves resilience by 11-20% compared to traditional full-horizon optimization, even with forecast errors and modeling uncertainties.
The practical implications for the energy sector are significant. As extreme weather events become more common, the ability to manage VPPs effectively will be crucial for maintaining grid stability and minimizing outages. The MPC framework developed by the University of Edinburgh team offers a viable solution for resilient, low-carbon VPP operation during extreme weather. This research was published in the journal Applied Energy, providing a valuable resource for energy professionals seeking to enhance grid resilience in the face of climate change.
In summary, the researchers have demonstrated that receding-horizon coordination via MPC can significantly improve the resilience of VPPs during extreme weather events. This advanced control strategy offers a practical and effective way to manage the increasing challenges posed by climate change to power systems worldwide.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.