In the rapidly evolving energy landscape, the integration of renewable energy sources has presented both opportunities and challenges for power system operators. One of the most significant hurdles is managing the variability and uncertainty of renewable energy generation, which can lead to imbalances in supply and demand. A groundbreaking study published in the journal ‘Diance yu yibiao’ (which translates to ‘Dynamics and Indicators’) offers a novel solution to this problem, with implications that could reshape the future of power system management.
At the heart of this research is a distributed and coordinated dispatching strategy that leverages the mutual aid of multi-area and multi-type flexible resources. Led by LI Huibin, a researcher at the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, North China Electric Power University, the study proposes a method to enhance the flexibility of power systems, making them more adaptable to the fluctuating nature of renewable energy sources.
The strategy involves establishing flexible supply models for thermal power units, energy storage systems, and interruptible loads. These models help analyze the flexibility demand caused by the uncertainty of both energy sources and loads. “By quantifying the risk cost of insufficient regional flexibility using conditional value-at-risk, we can better manage the uncertainties and ensure a more stable power supply,” explains LI.
One of the key innovations of this approach is the use of an improved alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM). This decentralized algorithm allows for the analysis of the mutual aid level of inter-regional flexibility, considering both the cost and the type of flexible resources. This means that different regions can share their flexible resources, such as energy storage or interruptible loads, to balance out supply and demand across a wider area.
The implications for the energy sector are profound. By promoting a flexible supply-demand balance, this strategy can significantly reduce system operation costs and minimize the risk of abandoning new energy or shedding load. This is particularly relevant in the context of the increasing penetration of renewable energy sources, which are often intermittent and unpredictable.
The case verification results of the study demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed strategy. It not only enhances the flexibility of large power grids but also contributes to more economic and safe dispatching. This could lead to a more resilient and efficient power system, better equipped to handle the challenges of the energy transition.
As the energy sector continues to evolve, the need for innovative solutions to manage the variability of renewable energy sources will only grow. This research, with its focus on decentralized algorithms and flexible mutual aid, could pave the way for a more adaptable and resilient power system. The work of LI and their team, published in ‘Diance yu yibiao’, is a significant step forward in this direction, offering a glimpse into the future of power system management.