Virtual Power Plants: Navigating through Foundational Concepts, Technologies Involved, Strategic Impacts, and Development Challenges
Abstract: The increasing deployment of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) necessitates a system for their effective management, addressed by Virtual Power Plant (VPP) platforms. By using advanced software and communication technologies, VPPs aggregate DER capacities, enabling them to function collectively as a single, adaptable, and dependable power source. This system permits the dynamic optimization and dispatch of DERs according to demand, market conditions, and grid needs, offering vital services like peak load management, frequency regulation, and backup power, thus boosting grid stability and promoting the use of renewable energy. VPPs serve a wide array of stakeholders, including consumers, utilities, energy traders, and DER manufacturers, by optimizing resource utilization and improving energy reliability. This lecture aims to provide a thorough insight into VPPs, discussing the key technologies involved, the critical role of forecasting and optimization, barriers to VPP implementation, and the importance of DER data access. It will also compare VPPs with Microgrids and Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems (DERMS), highlighting their unique characteristics and operational differences. The session will conclude by discussing what is expected from a VPP portal, emphasizing how VPPs enhance the integration and optimization of distributed energy. resources.
Bio:
Amir Miragha's career in electrical engineering began in 1996 as a Research Engineer at the Electric Power Research Center (EPRC) in Tehran, Iran, focusing on flicker assessment of electric arc furnaces, with applications at the YAZD Alloy Steel Plant. From 1998 to 2003 at Niroo Research Institute (NRI), he held various research and managerial roles, contributing to the energy consumption reduction of electrical auxiliary systems and the optimization and retrofitting of control systems in steam power plants. Additionally, he served as the Director of Publication at NRI, overseeing the preparation and publication of a well-received bi-lingual journal in the power system engineering domain.
In 2004, Amir was at the forefront of exploring microgrids at ETH-Zurich, a field that was gaining momentum with its emerging terminology and concepts around that time. This opportunity allowed him to build upon his existing expertise in small distribution systems, which he gained at NRI through working on power plants’ electrical auxiliary systems. His academic journey continued with a Ph.D. and Post-Doc at the University of Waterloo (2006-2010), where he focused on the optimal planning and operation of energy hubs and integrated energy systems, as well as studying the grid impacts of alternative fuel vehicles. His industry experience at GE Grid Automation in Canada (2010-2015) involved progression from an Application Engineer to an Engineering Technical Leader & Microgrid System Architect, contributing to R&D, New Product & Technology Introduction (NPI/NTI) programs, and several North American microgrid projects. Between 2015 and 2018, Amir led at BBS Access and was the founder of IOTSEG in Singapore, focusing on smart grid product development. At Energy Research Institute at Nanyang Technological University (2018-2020), he focused on developing advanced distribution grid management platforms, secured a grant for an innovative near-commercial battery storage control system, crafted high-TRL smart grid proposals, and collaborated with Singaporean industry partners on various RFIs and RFPs. During his tenure at AutoGrid in Singapore (2020-2022), he contributed to a variety of Demand Response (DR), Microgrid, DERMS, and VPP projects across key markets in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Australia. His contributions were multifaceted, encompassing the development and design of solution architectures and detailed specifications, conducting feasibility studies, directly contributing to project delivery, developing RFIs and RFPs, creating technical reference documents, and collaborating with utility personnel in setting up test environments. Currently, he serves as a Global Senior Principal Architect at Schneider Electric, contributing to the Microgrid Line of Business.
Amir held positions at the University of Waterloo as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering (2013-2019), focusing on process optimization and the hydrogen economy, and as Adjunct Associate Professor in Electrical & Computer Engineering (2017-2020). Amir, honored with 25 national and international awards, actively contributes to DER Interconnection and Smart Grid communication standards, including work on IEEE 1547, IEEE 1547.10, and IEEE 2030.5. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and holds a B.Sc. degree from K. N. Toosi University of Technology (1995), an M.Sc. from KTH Royal Institute of Technology (2005, with a thesis at ETH-Zurich), and a Ph.D. from the University of Waterloo (2010), all in electrical engineering.
