An energy sharing framework for improving load supply and renewable energy utilization in high-altitude area energy systems

Energy agents such as villages, ranchlands, and hydrogen refueling stations in high-altitude areas are located far from the main power grid and rely on renewable energy for their power supply. However, limited supply capacity and system flexibility challenge their sustainable operation. This paper proposes a dual-layer energy sharing framework to enhance load supply and local renewable energy utilization in these areas. First, neighboring villages and pastures are aggregated, and a composite energy storage provider is introduced to offer diversified shared energy storage services, constructing the inner-layer model of the framework and enhancing the energy utilization patterns of villages and pastures. Second, oxygen production equipment will be deployed at renewable energy stations to provide electricity and oxygen supply. Through peer-to-peer energy sharing, interconnection among renewable energy stations, hydrogen refueling stations, and villages/pastures will be achieved, further enhancing the flexibility of the framework. Finally, the framework will be optimized in a distributed manner using a bi-level alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM), with a case study focusing on the Tibet region of China. Results indicate that the framework elevates the load supply rate in villages and pastures to above 95 % despite the constrained energy supply, with distributed renewable energy achieving 100 % absorption. Furthermore, it significantly improves the energy absorption rate at renewable energy stations from 90.97 % to 95.17 %, offering a viable solution for sustainable energy operations in high-altitude areas.