STUDIES OF DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SUPPLY SYSTEMS USING AN INNOVATIVE ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

H. Muller
Department of Electric Power Systems Vienna University of Technology Vienna, Austria

A. Rudolf
Program and System Engineering Energy & Information
SIEMENS AG Austria

G. Aumayr
Power Transmission and Distribution Energy Services
SIEMENS AG Germany

Abstruct: The liberalization of energy markets and the aims of the

climate protection promote distributed systems. These systems permit inclusion of all practicable energy resources in the energy mix in connection with storage facilities, controllable loads as well as combined heating and power generation. This article describes an energy management system for distributed energy supply systems and its application as planning tool to prepare economy studies. The function of the energy management system is short-term optimization in co-generation systems, incorporating generating units using renewable primary energy. It is based essentially on the function packages forecast (weather, generation and load), operations planning and online modules. The operations planning takes into account different generating units, energy storage mechanisms, demand-side management, contracts and co-generation. The online modules perform redistribution of generation and load schedules, generation control and load control. The studies reported here deal with contract management, evaluation of emissions and renewable energy combined with battery systems.
Keywords: distributed energy supply system, distributed energy
management system, operations planning

practicable energy resources in the energy mix in connection with storage facilities and controllable loads. Therewith the energy-related economic benefit of accidental, renewable generation is increased distinctly. Based on modem information technologies and distributed energy management systems the existing centralized top down energy supply structures are optimized according to economic and ecological criteria [ 1-31.
11. DISTRIBUTED ENERGY SUPPLY SYSTEMS Distributed energy supply systems (see Fig. 1.) consist of small generation units (based e.g. on wind, solar, hydro, biomass, gas), storage facilities (e.g. battery systems, heathteam storage devices) as well as of consumption units. There are three types of consumption units - interruptible (e.g. blower, shredder), controllable (e.g. heat- and cold-storage devices) and not interruptible loads. In addition to electrical energy, heat or steam is produced in co-generation units. The thermal energy is tapped and passed to the consumers for production processes or heating [ 11.

ABBREVIATIONS & ACRONYMS DESS DEMS GUI MILP XM Distributed Energy Supply System Distributed Energy Management System Graphical User Interface Mixed Integer Linear Programming Exchange Monitor ooc Online Optimization and Coordination Generation Manager GM Load Manager LM Personal Computer PC Combined Heat and Power CHP CCGT Combined Cycle Gas Turbine Carbon Dioxide CO2

Fig. 1. Distributed energy supply systems.

I. INTRODUCTION Liberalization and deregulation lead to a growing competition in the energy sector, energy turns into a commodity. In addition sociopolitical contextual conditions call increasingly for conservation of environment and resources. On the one hand these changed conditions effect increased supra-regional energy exchange, however, the transport capacity is limited. On the other hand there is a significant extent of distributed systems including combined heating and power generation and recovery. Integral consideration of energy and combined processes take the place of individual forms of energy. Distributed energy supply concepts permit inclusion of all
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This is conditional on efficient communication between system control center and generation units, storage units and consumption units, as well as on an innovative distributed energy management system with forecasting (for weather, generation and load), operations planning, online-optimization as well as generation control and load control. DISTRIBUTED ENERGY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM These section is a brief description of the distributed energy management system SICAM DEMS. The function of this system is the short-term optimization in co-generation systems, incorporating generation units using renewable primary energy.
1 1 1 .

It is based essentially on the function packages (see Fig. 2.) Forecast (Weather Forecast, Generation Forecast, Load Forecast), Operations Planning and the Online Components (Online-Optimization as well as Generation Control and Load Control).

Filter. For the electrical load forecast, in addition to not interruptible loads, a distinction is made between controllable loads (loads which are time-displaceable under specified conditions) and interruptible loads (loads which can be shed under specified conditions). These are forecasted separately.

Fig. 2. Function units.

By virtue of it's modular structure, it is possible to configure a number of different variants from the function blocks (see Fig. 3.). Two significant configuration variants are the Online Process System and the Offline Planning Tool.

2. Operations Planning Operations planning is in the short-term time range. It operates in 15-minute time grid with a planning horizon of up to 7 days. It is carried out with the aim of minimization of the operating costs. On the basis of Mixed Integer Linear Programming costoptimal commitment of the available resources - consisting of generating units, storage units, exchange contracts and consumption units - is determined. All technical, contractual and environmental constraints plus a reserve and risk management are taken into account. The following units are implemented: Thermal power station 0 Combined heat and power station 0 Conventional and co-generation station ~~~l cell unit-we co-generation station Heat station Thermal storageunit 0 Wind power station 0 Solar power station Battery storage unit Import contract / Export contract Consumption units Interruptible- controllable- not interruptible loads
3. Online Components The Online functions operate in minute increments with the aim of maintaining the planned and contractually agreed energy exchange of the current %-houras best as possible. The Exchange Monitor compares the actual energy exchange at the interchange connection node with that planned for the current %-hour. XM calculates at minute intervals the necessary power correction amount. In the Online Optimization and Coordination function, optimized redistribution of the power correction amount to generation and load schedules takes place every minute. Optimization is based on the cost weighting functions provided by operations planning. The Generation Manager provides execution and monitoring of the production targets established by OOC. Each generation unit is assigned to a separate GM block. Load Manager provides monitoring and compliance of the planned (and where necessary, corrected by OOC) power schedules, taking into account the contractual conditions. Each load class is managed by a separate LM block. In addition, LM carries out the calculation and archiving of the historical load curve for the appropriate load class. This curve is made available to the load forecast function. Process data interfacing, processing and storage of the process data is provided by the WinCC@ Process Operation Control and Monitoring System.
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Fig. 3. Function blocks.

A. Online Process System This section is a brief description of the function units. 1. Forecast Functions The forecast functions operate in 15-minute time grid with a forecast horizon of up to 7 days. In addition to the basic forecast, a forecast band for the purpose of reserve and risk management is calculated. The Weather Forecast is based on external weather forecast data and on local measured data. The function calculates a local weather forecast for global radiation, temperature, wind speed and wind direction. The Generation Forecast calculates on the basis of the local weather forecast and of the unit characteristics the forecasted generation of wind and solar power stations. The Load Forecast is created separately for electrical and thermal consumers. The forecasting process is based on Kalman

The relevant process data between DEMS and the local control systems are exchanged via standardized software interfaces.
4. Base system The base system provides the principal functions of operating and monitoring, data management, sequence control, block management and configuration. The operating system platform is Windows NT@on PC's. Operating data input and result data output is done for time-rows using Microsoft Excel@and for single values using the graphical user interface.

Results of weekly simulation

Multiplicationof the daily results with the number of days of a half-year Summer and winter half-year

Expanded annual costs and power values

Power and Energy Schedules

I
I

'-Ll
I if' \A

B. Offline Planning System

The Offline Planning system offers the possibility to create energy-related economic studies in order to determine the economic and ecological eaciency of a DESS. Offline Planning and Online Process systems are built with identical function blocks. The configuration variants are created by means of different configuration frameworks. In this way, basic configuration of the blocks and configurations of system data can be transferred from the Offline Planning system directly to the configuration of the process system.

I,----' , 1
Fig. 4.

I
Method of annual expansion

generation unit

IV. FIELDS OF APPLICATION USING THE OFFLINE

PLANNING SYSTEM In this section three applications using the Offline Planning System are described. A DESS with fluctuating renewable generation consisting of a co-generation unit (fired with biogas), a wind power plant, a solar power plant, a battery system and an exchange contract is considered in the first study [4]. In addition there are measures to load management. During the various simulations the maximal storage capacity of the battery system is varied and the influence of this parameter on the operating costs as well as on the generated power of the other units is considered. In these calculations, the renewable energy sources (wind and solar power plants) and the typical load curves for a characteristic winter and summer week are used. The daily figures of the simulation results are expanded to annual figures by weighting according to their frequency in the respective half-year (see Fig. 4.). Finally an economic analysis of the various sizes of the maximal storage capacity is performed by comparing expanded operating costs and investment costs for the different kinds of realization. For the considered DESS, the simulation results show that using a battery system for covering the daily peak load does not result in an economic benefit. Such systems could be committed for fast ready reserve contribution. The second study deals with the contract management on the liberalized energy market [ 5 ] . The considered DESS consists of conventional power plants and different contract types.

To be present at the liberalized energy market affords new strategies, because price and volume risks have to be considered. Risk management strategies are necessary. This reorientation at the energy market influences beside the price also the structures of contracts. Principle structure types (base load, stepped base load, peak load) are considered in this study. The base load contract is characterized by a power band which has got to be supplied and the opportunity of a preferred power band which offers a lower price. This type never changes its power range, therefore, it is used for covering the base load. The stepped base load contract is modeled with two distinguished time zones (high-price tariff and the low-price tariff). The different demands at night-times and at day-times are considered using a variable power band. The peak load contract is available only at peak times and can also be modeled with a power band. Due to the liberalization of the energy market power exchanges are developed, like e.g. the Nordic Power Exchange Nord Pool. Power exchanges organize trade in physical (spot market) and financial contracts including clearing services to participants. In the spot market, participants trade power contracts for next-day delivery. Prices are determined by equilibrium-point trading on the basis of all bids and offers. The financial market offers the instruments (Forwards, Spreads, Futures, Options, Swaps,..) for price hedging and risk management by selling or buying contracts for delivery of electrical power. Throughout this study the spot market is taken into consideration using a specific price trajectory of a characteristic day at Nord Pool. A W h e r aspect in this study, is the coupling of the short-term and medium-term operations planning. Two different kinds of coupling are considered - area function coupling and shadow price coupling. Concerning the area function coupling a limited area which is close to the optimum will be determined as solution area. Using the shadow price coupling every deviation from the optimum will be punished with additional penalty costs. Each of the coupling mechanisms has its disadvantages. When using the area fiction coupling it is not possible in the short-term optimization to obey the theorem "actio est reactio,"

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if large deviations occur (think of deviations which exceed the solution area). Because the possibilities of the optimization process are bounded. Using the shadow price coupling every reaction seems to be possible at any time, but the long-term margin conditions sometimes appear not to be satisfied exactly. Therefore within this study a combination of these methods is performed to get rid of the disadvantages without loosing the advantages of each single method. On the one hand the proceeding liberalization of the energy markets forces more efficiency in power generation. As well as capital intensive technologies are loosing importance because of lower prices and shorter amortization periods of plants. On the other hand more efficient technologies are necessary to meet the emission (greenhouse gases) reduction targets of the Kyoto Protocol [6]. Therefore the trend in energy supply of tomorrows leads to small scaled combined heat and power plants with gas motor or combined cycle gas turbine modules, which attain a total efficiency of up to 90% in combined production of heat and power. This is the background of the third study, which deals with the short-term operations planning of a distributed co-generation system (power and district heating system) [7]. The system consists of thermal plants (fired with renewable and non renewable fuels) and an electrical exchange contract. These thermal plants are two small-scaled CHP built with motors (fired with biogas and biodiesel), one heat plant (fired with biogas), two types of steam turbines (a back-pressure unit fired with brown coal and an extraction-condensing unit fired with pit coal) and two plants with a gas turbine (both fired with natural gas). The first gas turbine is combined with a waste heat boiler and a duct bumer and the other one is a combined cycle gas turbine, with an open circuit (gas turbine) and a closed cycle
(back pressure steam turbine). The power range of these plants

desirable developments (climate protection) [SI. The performed studies show one way to determine economy and ecologically frameworks by means of an OMine Planning system and therefore to promote the realization of an Online Process system. VI. REFERENCES R. Bitsch, Tomorrows energy needs require intelligent networks, Modem Power Systems, vol. 18, no. 9, September
1998, pp. 19-24.

R. Bitsch, Energy concepts for the millennium, Power Economics, vol. 2, no. 8, October 1998, pp. 23-25. R. Bitsch, Intelligent energy distribution systems transform electricity supply economics, energy 2000 Celebrating 25 years of Intemational Energy Agency IEA, pp. 114-120. M. Zochling, Kurz- und mittelfristige Einsatzplanung von
Erzeugungs-, Verbraucher- und Speichereinheiten unter Beriicksichtigung dargebotsabhbgiger Energiequellen, Diploma Thesis, Department of Electric Power Systems, Vienna University of Technology, 1998. W. Hrdlicka, Vertragsmanagement am liberalisierten Energiemarkt, Diploma Thesis, Department of Electric Power Systems, Vienna University of Technology, 2000. Kyoto Protocol to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, FCCC/CP/1997L7/Add. 1. R. Putz, Tageseinsatzoptimierungin einem dezentralen elektrisch-thermischen Querverbundsystem unter Bewertung von CO2 Emissionen, Diploma Thesis, Department of Electric Power Systems, Vienna University of Technology, 2000. M. Seidel, Dezentrales Energiemanagement verbessert die Kostenposition, Elektrizitatswirtschaft, no. 9, April 2000, pp. 24-28.

VII. BIOGRAPHIES
Herbert Muller, was bom in Vienna, Austria in 1943. He studied Electrical Power Engineering at the Vienna University of Technology, where he received his Dipl. Eng. Degree and Dr. techn. Degree in 1971 and 1977, respectively. With an inaugural dissertation on load forecasting he qualified for inauguration in computer aided system engineering methods for electric power supply in 1986. Besides teaching activity in this field he was principal investigator of several research projects in the area of power systems computation, planning and operation resulting in 39 publications and over 50 lectures so far. With his main interests in load forecasting and optimization methods he acted as a consultant to several Austrian power utilities and is member of the technical information processing committee within the Association of Austrian Electricity Supply Companies, member of the economic committee within the Austrian Standards Institutes and member of the advisory board to the goveming body of Austrian Operations Research Society. Andreas Rudolf, was bom in Abtenau, Austria, in 1970. He received the Dipl. Eng. Degree from the Department of Electric Power Systems at the Graz Vienna University of Technology, Austria, in 1997. He has done his diploma thesis at SIEMENS AG Austria. In October 1997 he started his Ph.D. at Department of Electric Power Systems at the Vienna University of Technology, Austria. Since November 1997 he has been working in the fields of operation research at SIEMENS, Program and System Engineering, Energy & Information, in Vienna. He is currently researching in the fields of distributed energy supply systems, energy-related economic and operations planning. Gerhard Aumayr, was bom in Linz, Austria, in 1943. He studied Electrical Power Engineering at the Vienna University of Technology, where he received his Dipl. Eng. Degree. In 1970 he started work at SIEMENS AG Germany, where he worked in the fields of human-machine communication using graphical data processing and power systems control. Since 1996 he has been working in the field of distributed energy supply systems, leading a development project of an energy management system.

varies from 0.8 MW to 7.1 MW electrical power and from 1.2 MW to 16,6 MW heat production. The planning tool determines the cost-optimal power schedules of the plants. These schedules can be influenced by the introduction of a carbon dioxide emission rating, which promotes renewable fuels (biogas and biomass) or fuels with lower COz-content (natural gas instead of coal). It is one way to force the increased use of renewable forms of energy, of C02-sequestration technologies and of advanced and innovative environmentally technologies. V. CONCLUSIONS Energy supply of tomorrow will change from a supply structure that is mainly generation-dominated and characterized by a preoccupation with security and energy reserves to more consumer-oriented, economy and ecologically optimized energy supply. Such integrated distributed energy supply systems should utilize all energy resources in connection with storage facilities, load management and co-generation. Beside the ecologically constraints, the economy of such systems have to be considered. An innovative energy management system could help to cope with the dilemma between short-term demands (deregulation, economic considerations) and long-term

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