Leveraging Prosumer Flexibility to Mitigate Grid Congestion in Future Power Distribution Grids

Domenico Tomaselli (), Dieter Most, Enkel Sinani, Paul Stursberg, Hans Joerg Heger and Stefan Niessen
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Domenico Tomaselli: Technology, Sustainable Energy and Infrastructure, Siemens AG, 81739 Munich, Germany
Dieter Most: Technology, Sustainable Energy and Infrastructure, Siemens AG, 91058 Erlangen, Germany
Enkel Sinani: School of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, 85748 Munich, Germany
Paul Stursberg: Technology, Sustainable Energy and Infrastructure, Siemens AG, 81739 Munich, Germany
Hans Joerg Heger: Technology, Sustainable Energy and Infrastructure, Siemens AG, 81739 Munich, Germany
Stefan Niessen: Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology, Technical University of Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt, Germany

Energies, 2024, vol. 17, issue 17, 1-17

Abstract: The growing adoption of behind-the-meter (BTM) photovoltaic (PV) systems, electric vehicle (EV) home chargers, and heat pumps (HPs) is causing increased grid congestion issues, particularly in power distribution grids. Leveraging BTM prosumer flexibility offers a cost-effective and readily available solution to address these issues without resorting to expensive and time-consuming infrastructure upgrades. This work evaluated the effectiveness of this solution by introducing a novel modeling framework that combines a rolling horizon (RH) optimal power flow (OPF) algorithm with a customized piecewise linear cost function. This framework allows for the individual control of flexible BTM assets through various control measures, while modeling the power flow (PF) and accounting for grid constraints. We demonstrated the practical utility of the proposed framework in an exemplary residential region in Schutterwald, Germany. To this end, we constructed a PF-ready grid model for the region, geographically allocated a future BTM asset mix, and generated tailored load and generation profiles for each household. We found that BTM storage systems optimized for self-consumption can fully resolve feed-in violations at HV/MV stations but only mitigate 35% of the future load violations. Implementing additional control measures is key for addressing the remaining load violations. While curative measures, e.g., temporarily limiting EV charging or HP usage, have minimal impacts, proactive measures that control both the charging and discharging of BTM storage systems can effectively address the remaining load violations, even for grids that are already operating at or near full capacity.

Keywords: behind-the-meter assets; flexibility; smart grid; grid congestion; optimal power flow (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2024
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