A Framework for Collaborative Virtual Power Plant Ecosystem

Abstract

The notion of Collaborative Virtual Power Plant Ecosystem (CVPP-E) contributes to an effective organization of Renewable Energy Communities (RECs) in such a way that they can act or exhibit the attributes of Virtual Power Plants (VPPs). This concept is derived by merging or integrating principles, organizational structures, and mechanism from the domain of Collaborative Networks (CN) into the area of VPPs. The expectation is that if actors in the RECs engage in collaborative actions this would enable a REC to perform functions that are similar to a VPP. Conceptually, the CVPP-E is constituted of a community manager, a common community energy storage system, prosumers who own a combination of photovoltaic and a battery storage system, and passive consumers, all connected to an energy grid. The key attribute of this proposed ecosystem is that members engage in collective actions or collaborative ventures that are based on a common goal and aimed at achieving sustainable energy generation, consumption, and vending. In this study, we present a high-level model for the aspects of collaboration in the CVPP-E. This involves the compatible/common goals framework, the sharing framework, and the collective actions framework. These frameworks serve as the backbone of the CVPP-E and play a vital role in the modelling of a CVPP-E. Various simulation scenarios are used to assess the proposed model.