Virtual Power Plants (VPP) can play a role in providing network-stability and reducing the threat from minimum demand to power system security, according to the latest VPP report from the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
According to the operator, a VPP is an aggregation of consumer-owned distributed energy resources (DERs), such as rooftop solar systems and batteries, operated using software and communications technology to provide energy and network services traditionally performed by a conventional power plant.
Chief Member Services Officer at AEMO, Violette Mouchaileh said the report, AEMO Virtual Power Plant Demonstrations – Knowledge Sharing Report #3, showed VPPs assisted in elevating the South Australian operational demand by approximately five megawatts during the record minimum demand period on 11 October, which reduced the severity of the event.
“Further, we’ve seen that VPPs prioritise fleet availability for Frequency Control Ancillary Services (FCAS) markets over other value streams, such as energy arbitrage,” Ms Mouchaileh said.
“This makes accurately forecasting behaviour as VPPs scale more complex,” she said.
“Therefore, ongoing collaboration with industry and development of operational visibility, forecast-ability and dispatchability of VPPs will be critical to ensuring efficient integration into the power system.”
Ms Mouchaileh said that beyond the VPP Demonstrations, further work and collaboration with the industry was required on how VPPs could provide regulation FCAS and wholesale demand response, and act as ‘Relevant Agents’.
AEMO’s 20-page Report can be accessed at this PS News link.
