The impacts of Virtual Power Plants on multiple carrier energy networks

Abstract

One of the prominent reason to establish new fossil fuels power plants and transmission line expansion is growing requirements to energy. Establishing new power plants is with the increase of greenhouse gas emission and huge investment costs. Virtual Power Plants (VPPs) are considered as the effective solution to prevent fossil fuels power plant establishment and transmission lines expansion with huge investment costs. In fact, integration of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) to electric distribution network provides a virtual plant to supply required energy in the place. On the other hand, Combined Heat and Power (CHP) is a great example of the DERs with potential of combining different energy infrastructures such as electricity and gas networks. In this paper, effects of VPPs on multiple carrier energy networks (gas and electricity) are taken into account. Simulation results demonstrate that how much energy consumptions and peak demands as well as energy costs are decreased by connection of the DERs to electric distribution network. Results demonstrate that 7% to 47% operation costs reduction as well as 16% to 76% peak reduction is as the result of establishing a VPP.