Localized management of distributed flexible energy resources

• Published in: International journal of electrical power & energy systems 2024-06, Vol.157, p.109790, Article 109790
• Main Authors: Tulabing, Ryan S., Mitchell, Brian C., Covic, Grant A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Demand response; Demand-side management; DER integration; Localized demand control; Smart grid
• ISSN: 0142-0615
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijepes.2024.109790

The integration of distributed energy resources continues to be a challenge for the traditional electricity grid. Aside from additional variability in the net power demand, there is often a temporal discrepancy between generation and consumption schedules which can exacerbate demand peaks and troughs, leading to system overloading, voltage violations, and a low system load factor. This study proposes a control system approach to unify the management of the different types of flexible energy resources through Localized Demand Control. In this system, all flexible energy resources are coordinated using a power line carrier frequency signal to follow a preferred demand curve at the distribution transformer level. The system’s functionality has been confirmed in an actual 5-house microgrid without adverse effects on end-user comfort. Meanwhile, scaled-up simulation studies have shown improvements in the system load factor by as much as 189%, and increased hosting capacity by 40% for electric vehicles and 16% for solar photovoltaic panels. •Unified algorithm to manage distributed flexible energy resources.•Flexibility-based prioritization and power allocation.•Feedback-loop control tuning to maintain aggregated demand at a target value.•Adaptive transformer load setting to flatten the demand curve.