Enabling the participation of domestic consumer based VPPs in DR programs using near real time control over LTE networks

Smart Grid is expected to improve the reliability and efficiency while reducing the carbon footprint of energy sector. The incorporation of renewable generations at customer premises is a viable method to increase the renewable component of generation in Smart Grid. However, the random and intermittent nature of power generation is an inherent challenge for the operation of power grids with high penetration of renewable generation. Coordinating the operation of Distributed Energy Resources (DER) that includes controllable loads and storage too to achieve Virtual Power Plant (VPP) functionality has yielded amicable results in mitigating these fluctuations. This, in turn, could enable effective market participation by domestic consumers through an aggregator who can estimate the day´s renewable generation pattern and coordinate the operation of DER to meet utility´s Demand Response (DR) needs effectively. Such operation requires the exchange of significant volume of information between aggregator and consumers. By utilizing public data networks to exchange control and system information, the cost of implementing such operation could be reduced significantly. This paper reports the results of a co-simulation study that analyzed the feasibility of implementing VPP functionality through a coordinated control scheme implemented using a LTE network Successful such implementations enable an aggregator to participate in a DR program that demands the control of active power flow in the distribution feeder. The simulation platform developed for this study comprises a real-time power system simulation set-up and a commercial LTE based communication network.