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Dynamic Coalition Adaptation for Efficient
Agent-Based Virtual Power Plants
Radu-Casian Mihailescu, Matteo Vasirani, and Sascha Ossowski
Rey Juan Carlos University, Madrid, Spain
{
raducasian.mihailescu,matteo.vasirani,sascha.ossowski
}
@urjc.es
Abstract.
An agent-based organizational model for a smart energy system is in-
troduced relying on a dynamic coalition formation mechanism for virtual power
plants. Central to this mechanism we propose a solution concept that stems from
the existent stability notions in coalitional games. The process is intended as an
open-ended organizational adaptation, concerned with achieving stable configu-
rations that meet the desired functionalities within stochastic scenarios. We de-
ploy the mechanism in distributed environments populated by negotiating agents
and give empirical results that prove a significant improvement of organizational
efficiency.
1
Introduction
In recent years, there is an increasing interest in the integration of distributed, small-
scale, renewable generation into the power system. An efficient use of distributed energy
resources (DER) may increase the flexibility and the resilience of the power system at
distribution level. Furthermore, it is possible to reduce the dependence from large-scale,
non-renewable, power plants and therefore to contribute to a sensible reduction of
CO
2
emissions. According to the US department of Energy, a
5%
increase in grid efficiency
is equivalent to the fuel and
CO
2
emission of 53 million cars.
The potential allure of the multiagent system paradigm (MAS) to the power indus-
try has been extensively documented so far [8]. To this respect, several management
systems have been proposed for the organization of the grid. On the one hand micro-
grids [6] have been advocated as a subsystem of the distribution network, formed by
generation, storage and load devices, interconnected at the electrical and the informa-
tional level. Micro-grids can be intended as a systemic approach to realize the emerging
potential of distributed generation.
Setting aside from this approach that aims at imposing an architectural control,
whether centralized or not, on already predefined micro-grids, our vision is intended
at proposing a method for congregating the smart-grid actors (DERs and consumers
alike) to dynamically approximate optimal micro-grid configurations. To this end, the
procedure is designed such that it develops on the concept of integrating DERs in the
form of virtual power plants [10]. A virtual power plant (VPP) is conceived as a bundle
This work was supported by the projects AT (CONSOLIDER CSD2007-0022, INGENIO
2010) and OVAMAH (TIN2009-13839-C03-02).
