Multi-carrier smart energy micro-grid analysis

In the era of smart grid and advanced technological development, including artificial intelligence, there is a possibility to expand the horizons when it comes to overall energy production, distribution and consumption. The current practice of having independent analysis and control of electrical, gas and heat networks should be abandoned for multi-carrier energy system analysis. Multi-carrier energy systems have coupling points in gas power plants, CHP and gas-CHP power plants, as well as at the consumption end. Smart homes and net metering enable consumers to control their energy demand and make decisions between electrical, gas or heat energy consumption, consequently affecting all three energy grids. A simplified coupled multi-carrier energy system is the combination of district heating and electricity networks. Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units, heat pumps and electric boilers create linkages between electricity and heat networks. This paper shows decomposed electrical-hydraulic-thermal calculation technique for multi-carrier energy system analysis.