The increasing penetration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) in Distribution Systems (DSs) has motivated studies on Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). However, few studies have jointly assessed the sizing and economic attractiveness of VPPs from the entrepreneur’s perspective and the potential benefits and impacts on power systems while maintaining the scope to DSs. This study proposes a methodology for sizing VPPs and simulating their economic optimal dispatch and economic attractiveness with a focus on the entrepreneur’s viewpoint. In addition, it also evaluates VPPs’ potential benefits and impacts on a DS or Transmission System (TS) while considering the interface between the Distribution System Operator (DSO) and the Transmission System Operator (TSO). The methodology employs optimization to minimize the Net Present Cost (NPC) of the project, in relation to sizing the DERs, and to obtain the economic optimal dispatch of the BESSs that comprise the VPP. Moreover, a power flow analysis and probabilistic reliability assessment are used to evaluate the benefits and impacts on the power system. The methodology was applied to a case study involving Photovoltaic (PV) systems and Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESSs) used by aggregated medium voltage consumers, which configure Technical Virtual Power Plants (TVPPs) participating in Demand Response (DR) via incentives, with a network model of the Brazilian National Interconnected System (SIN) adapted from the 2030 Ten-Year Energy Expansion Plan (PDE) of the Energy Research Office (EPE), along with data from the Geographic Database of the Distribution Utility (BDGD). The results indicate the economic attractiveness of DERs according to the premises adopted and indicate improvements in TS reliability indexes with the possibility of TVPPs’ dispatch after transmission contingencies.

This study analyzes the perspective of the increasing participation of distributed generation (DG) in power systems, and its impact on electrical energy planning. To evaluate the effects of DG, this study presents the results of simulations involving a distribution network where some of the consumers, randomly chosen, are small producers of electrical energy, denominated prosumers. Some scenarios are analyzed, in which the prosumers adopt different levels of photovoltaic and/or wind DG, and in each one the annual reductions of the substation energy consumption and energy losses in lines and transformers are measured. Besides these benefits, the voltage violations in each scenario, caused by the DG, are also computed. The network model is based on the IEEE 8500-Node Test Feeder, and the simulations are performed using the open-source Open Distribution System Simulator (OpenDSS).

Este estudo analisa a Resposta da Demanda (DR da sigla em inglês para Demand Response) e a Geração Distribuída Fotovoltaica (GDFV), visando o desenvolvimento de uma abordagem para modelá-las como recursos...

In the context of smart grids, the quantification of the energy potential of Distributed Energy Resources (DER), such as Demand Response (DR) and