Agent-Based Electricity Balancing with Distributed Energy Resources, A Multiperspective Case Study

Distributed generation (DG) of electricity is providing an increasing part of the worldwide electricity supply. At the same time, there is a big potential of demand response resources. When - in a geographical area or in the contract portfolio of an energy trader - the number of these distributed energy resources (DER) increases, clustered control of DER by common ICT (information and communication technology) systems can add value. Due to the fine-grained and distributed nature of DER, the design of such a system needs to meet heavy requirements, e.g. regarding scalability and openness. Further, these systems need to balance multiple stakes in a multi-actor environment. Multiagent systems, especially those based on electronic markets have been identified as key technologies in this respect. This paper presents a multiperspective case study of the design, implementation and performance of such a system for the business case of imbalance reduction in commercial clusters of DER. The benefits of this approach are shown by field experimental results of a real-life DER cluster with an imbalance characteristic dominated by wind electricity production. The approach resulted in substantial imbalance reductions. Further, a thorough analysis of the networked business constellation is given, together with an indication how business modelling techniques can be used to assess the financial feasibility of the business idea.