Developing next generation virtual power plant
Our European research and innovation project edgeFLEX aims at further developing the concept of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) to manage a wider range of generation and storage assets in a new way. By offering a set of fast and dynamic service-to-grid operations, the emergence of a new market for ancillary services will be enabled. The ten project partners propose a new architecture of VPPs with communications, supported by 5G, corresponding to multiple layers of dynamics, paving the way for a fully renewable energy system. With the expansion of the VPP concept to the idea of local energy communities, technical solutions are linked to societal expectations.
The edgeFLEX Trial in Milano, Italy
The edgeFLEX Trial in Wunsiedel, Germany
Inside edgeFLEX
Today: RWTH Rheinisch-Westfälisch Technische Hochschule Aachen
The new role of VPP foreseen in edgeFLEX of the Virtual Power Plant (VPP) requires the integration of grid automation solutions to support the System Operators in the management of the electrical grid. Since the beginning of the project it was clear that edgeFLEX required the investigation and the implementation of all the different aspects that characterize the grid automation system. These four aspects are: measure, estimation, control and simulation.
To perform any action on the grid, data must be acquired via measurement devices and sent to the servers that collect the set of data. Within the framework of edgeFLEX, the RWTH Aachen University has developed the edgePMU, to perform accurate and synchronized phasor measurements by collecting data on a low-cost device and performing processing in the edge cloud.
Consequently, power and frequency measurement data can be used to estimate the inertia of the system, providing hints for the Transmission System Operators (TSO) to assess the robustness of the grid.
Moreover, the collected measurements and estimated data can also be used for calculating the required control actions for the electrical grid.
Within the context of edgeFLEX, voltage control algorithms have been developed to manage the distributed generators installed in the distribution grid for maintaining the voltage within the technical limits.
All these three elements of the circle are meant to be applied in real grids, however, to test the algorithms and the communication interfaces, the real system is normally substituted with a simulated environment, which also allows the DSOs to perform critical tests on it.
Edoardo De Din, Gianluca Lipari, Jonas Baude und Diala Nouti
The development of all these aspects also brought with it some challenges. The installation of edgePMUs in the grid, for example, required understanding sensors and monitoring systems of the field trials. The control and estimation algorithms also needed a correct interface with the rest of the platform. Working on these challenges has helped RWTH increase its knowledge on aspects of devices deployment and integration with cloud platforms.
As a result, RWTH has been able to install and start collecting grid data from the field trials in Germany and Italy. Moreover, tests in a simulated environment have proven the ability of the control algorithms to be interfaced with edgePMU and use the measurements to calculate the correct set-points for the simulated grid.
edgeFLEX and the New Flex Community
02.02.2022 is a date not easily forgotten! More than 150 participants were present when we launched the FlexCommunity.
edgeFLEX contributes to 3GPP standard
The use case for the edgePMU, the innovative implementation concept developed in edgeFLEX project, was included in the 3GPP standard. The new concept will be implemented and tested in DSO power grid network and in the laboratory with the use of a live 5G network. 3GPP technical report 22.867, which describes the edgePMU and the related edge monitoring functionality use case, is available on the following link: https://www.3gpp.org/DynaReport/22867.htm"
3GPP is a global initiative developing specifications for wireless communications. It brings together seven of the world’s leading wireless standards organizations.
Towards a new era of energy flexibility
With the increased share of renewable energy in the energy mix, causing the energy market to change, now is the time to revise the VPP concept. VPPs need to support not only the promotion of intermittent renewables (RES) but also the integration of all Distributed Energy Resources (DER) into the full scope of grid operations. Such a leap raises challenges: optimal combination of DER and RES in a new generation of VPPs is needed to jointly provide grid supportive flexibility with slow reaction time known from day-head and intra-day markets, as well as real-time reaction to provide fast frequency and inertial response and dynamic-phasor driven voltage control ancillary services. In a nutshell, in a DER-based power electronics-driven network VPPs need to play all the roles that synchronous machines play in a traditional system.
Flexibility can be provided by going beyond electrochemical storage and exploring opportunities offered by Power2X or inverters. Demand Side Management or low-cost solutions such as Power-to-Heat could be deployed in a neighbourhood expanding the concept of VPPs to the concept of a Local Energy Communities (LECs). edgeFLEX links technical solutions to societal expectations. Short reaction times can be addressed by 5G-powered edge clouds linking dispersed devices in near real-time. In this respect, a new concept of VPPs, with communications corresponding to multiple layers of dynamics, becomes possible. edgeFLEX proposes a new architecture for VPPs deploying such a multi-layer solution, paving the way for a fully renewable energy system. VPPs are brought to a new level, enabling them to interact on markets offering various ancillary services to system operators. edgeFLEX develops this next generation VPP concept and demonstrates it in the context of three field trials and accompanying laboratory tests. The project explores innovative optimisations, financial tools and business scenarios for VPPs and assesses the economic and societal impact. The consortium actively works on removing barriers by contributing to standards and European level regulation.
Field Trials
German Slow Dynamics Trials
By connecting to parks using an IoT-framework we will have access to measurements of both weather variables and power production. This will enable us to try a novel forecasting methodology, a spatio-temporal machine learning, based model making use of weather forecasts, weather measurements and power production values. It will also allow us to test a new stochastic model of the European intraday continuous market XBID, to enable automated re-balancing of a RES portfolio.
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Wunsiedel Slow and Fast Dynamics Trial
With edgeFLEX, the Wunsiedel utility will incorporate new elements of grid control while preserving the existing infrastructure. In edgeFLEX the solution providers will extend the system to link to more control devices with algorithms that will be needed in a future, more volatile energy system. New devices will be introduced to the system or existing edge controllers be used to run control algorithms that allow for fast frequency, inertia and voltage control. While the edgeFLEX Brokerage System will manage all necessary data and include algorithms for an optimal operation of the Wunsiedel sub-system, the existing mechanism will be expanded to enable communication and negotiation with distributed reactive energy modules and with fast edge type services via GOFLEX FlexOffer protocol.
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Ericsson GMBH
Ericsson is one of the leading providers of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to service providers. Ericsson enables the full value of connectivity by creating game-changing technology and services that are easy to use, adopt, and scale, making our customers successful in a fully connected world.
ALPIQ DIGITAL AG
Alpiq Digital is in the business of enabling the transition to the renewable energy landscape of the future. The focus of Alpiq Digital is on delivering services and solutions for managing and deploying RES assets, both from an operational and financial point of view. We target the entire value chain, from consumers to producers with complex prosumers which are our main focus.
B.A.U.M CONSULT GMBH
B.A.U.M. Consult GmbH supports enterprises, municipalities, regions and governmental institutions throughout Germany and abroad with consultancy and training on sustainable development. As a knowledge management company, B.A.U.M. understands its role as a link between research, development, production and marketing of sustainable products and services.
CENTRUL ROMAN AL ENERGETIKA
The Romanian Energy Centre (CRE) is a non-governmental organisation representing state-owned as well as private companies and enterprises operating in the Romanian energy sector. The main objective of the Romanian Energy Centre is to ensure a favourable environment for boosting competitiveness and developing the Romanian energy sector.
INEA INFORMATIZACIJA ENERGETIKA AVTOMATIZACIJA D.O.O.
Inea is the leading company in Slovenia in the field of energy management solutions, industrial automation, process computer control and manufacturing informatics. Inea develops, installs and supports industrial energy management and control systems. Its major interests lie in the areas of efficient energy use, CHP implementation and development and implementation of energy monitoring and targeting systems.
RHEINISCH-WESTFAELISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE AACHEN
As one of the Universities in Germany awarded the status of "Excellence University", RWTH Aachen is a leading technical university in Germany and Europe. RWTH joins the project with the E.ON Energy Research Centre, Institute for Automation of Complex Power Systems (ACS) which fosters innovative energy research with a strong link with industry in an interdisciplinary approach.
SWW WUNSIEDEL GMBH
SWW Wunsiedel GmbH is a modern, innovative and future-oriented municipal utility company. SWW is responsible for electricity, gas, water, heating and telecommunication supply. SWW and its subordinated service companies have been focussing on the consistent production, use and expansion of renewable energy and sustainable technologies for years.
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE DUBLIN, NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF IRELAND
UCD is Ireland’s largest teaching and research institution and its leading international university. Underpinned by its strategy for internationalisation, UCD is putting in place high-end research collaborations and partnerships and is the leader in Energy Research in Ireland. At UCD, researchers are working to find solutions to the energy and environment challenges of the 21st century.
ALMA MATER STUDIORUM - UNIVERSITA DI BOLOGNA
Almost 1000 years old, the University of Bologna (UNIBO) is known as the oldest University of the western world. Nowadays, UNIBO remains one of the most important institutions of higher education across Europe and the second largest university in Italy with 11 Schools, 33 Departments and about 87.000 students; it is organised in a multi-campus structure with 5 operating sites (Bologna, Cesena, Forlì, Ravenna and Rimini), and, since 1998, also a permanent headquarter in Buenos Aires.
WATERFORD INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
WIT is the major provider of higher education in the South East region of Ireland and one of the largest Institutes of Technology's in Ireland. WIT hosts the Telecommunications Software & Systems Group (TSSG), which is an internationally recognized centre of excellence for ICT research and innovation.