Energy Management Systems (EMS) for a Decentralized Grid: A Review and Analysis of the Generation and Control Methods Impact on EMS Type and Topology

Abstract

Grid decarbonization is transitioning the generation method's (GM) topology towards a distributed energy resource (DER)-centric decentralized topology. However, the control method (CM) and energy management system (EMS) are yet to decentralize, resulting in topological mismatch-related issues that pose significant operational challenges. Due to the advantages of topological synergy, CM research is moving towards decentralized topologies. However, the EMS lacks a clear development path and defined target parameters. This study investigates the interdependencies between GM, CM, and EMS topologies, determining their relationship to forecast the future trajectory of EMS research and to determine robust evaluation parameters for EMS proposals. Topological analysis revealed a strong influence of one sector on another, placing significant pressure to decentralize the EMS. Utilizing these findings, a detailed evaluation of the proposed cloud-edge, cluster, and blockchain-based EMS proposals against the established parameters revealed that blockchain-based architectures best aligned with the incoming decentralized GM and CM's limitations, requirements, and advantages, offering superior security, resilience, adaptability, and scalability. Furthermore, blockchain technology has largely overcome the regulatory barriers and technical challenges, such as communication overheads, making blockchain-based EMS the most effective and efficient choice for a next-gen EMS.