Multifunctional operation of a virtual power plant in an active distribution grid: Modelling approaches and first field test experiences from the SmartRegion Pellworm project

In the project SmartRegion Pellworm, a virtual power plant (VPP) consisting of renewable power plants, battery storage systems and electric storage heaters on household level is simulated, analyzed and demonstrated in real operation. This paper presents the modelling approach developed in the project to simulate and evaluate a VPP pursuing different operation strategies. These include a market driven, a grid supportive, a local supply oriented and a multifunctional strategy. A key component of the modelling approach is a mixed integer linear programming model for the optimization of VPP operation planning. The simulation results for the real test case on the German island Pellworm show that multifunctional operation is a promising solution to serve multiple stakeholders. However, market driven operation proves to be most profitable in the given market framework. First insights from the field test show how the simulated operation strategies are transferred to an energy management system for online VPP operation.