Prosumers optimally adapted to local load. Rationale and benefits for the grid

Abstract

Prosumers are entities with a key role in the new smart grid paradigm, having enabled two ways active power exchange. The usual approach is to send excess energy to the main grid, with a cost of unpredictability of the reverse power flow. In order to achieve a high penetration of renewables in the distribution grid, with added contribution from prosumers, traditional grids need to be operated in states corresponding to active grids for which they have not been designed. Recently deployed solutions allow advanced prosumers to benefit from advancements in both storage and renewables technologies, changing the behavior of prosumers into controlled unidirectional power exchange (no-back generation), which translates into consumer-only behavior from the grid side. With this no-back generation paradigm, in this paper a number of comprehensive scenarios have been simulated and analyzed on a daily basis, based on real local production and consumption profiles and using key performance indexes. The paper shows the benefits of operating and customers with prosumers potential, which can bring substantial openings for a high renewables penetration agenda to address climate change related issues.