Simulation Supporting Development of B2B Energy Eco-System Field Trial
The real-time simulation framework developed in project FINESCE enables realistic testing and validation of a cloud-based Virtual Power Plant (VPP). The cloud-based VPP coordinates Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) within a power system, all simulated with Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS). To provide communication between the VPP platform and DERs, the infrastructure of the ACS laboratory is extended by a gateway which enables data exchange between FI-WARE cloud platform of the VPP and RTDS where the DERs are simulated.
Goals
Field trials are being developed within FINESCE project to demonstrate integration of Future Internet (FI) technologies into different power system aspects. The goal of the project is to provide advanced monitoring and control functionalities of power system based on FI technology. B2B (business-to-business) energy eco-system field trial interlinks industrial demand-side management and a cross-border Virtual Power Plant. Real-time simulation approach supports field trial development, from early stage of the design to the final implementation.
B2B energy eco-system field trial exploits, demonstrates, and assesses advanced functionalities provided by Future Internet (FI) technologies in a cross-border Virtual Power Plant (VPP), industrial demand-side management as well as regional balancing approach of energy supply and demand.
Field Trial
A cross-border VPP, which is being developed within the field trial, integrates several distributed energy resources (DERs), wind farms, and solar and biomass power plants, located in Belgium and Germany. Furthermore, opportunities for energy management in a manufacturing plant are being investigated on a new factory for production of electric vehicles in Aachen, Germany. FI-Lab, a FI enabled cloud platform, is used for cross-border operation of VPP. Energy demand data of the factory are available for the cloud platform in order to investigate possibilities for regional balancing of intermittent renewable supply and industrial demand.
Simulation framework
The real-time simulation of the power system provides a safe and a realistic framework to verify the technical feasibility of balancing load and generation within VPP. The Real-Time Digital Simulator is interfaced to the FI-Lab, which allows for easy interaction of simulated trial and users. FI Generic Enablers, core components of FI-WARE infrastructure, played a crucial role enabling rapid development and flexibility of this interface.
Simulation verifies and extends the results of trial findings. Scalability of trial approach can be verified and different strategies can be compared with respect to reducing global balancing problem based on solving local balancing problem. Scaling of trial site is being verified with respect of technical feasibility in case of several VPP operating in parallel within the same areas of influence.
Contact
This project is funded by the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement no.604677.