In this work we focus on one particular area of the smart grid, namely, the challenges faced by distribution network operators in securing the balance be- tween supply and demand in the intraday market. Typically, the intraday market is used as a mechanism for coping with various unplanned operational incidents that may arise in the grid. It is anticipated that it will gain even more significance, as a growing number of load controllable devices and small-scale, intermittent gener- ators coming from renewables are expected to pervade the system. On one hand, this means that the task of managing the network efficiently becomes increasingly complex and stochastic due to the large number of decentralized autonomous ac- tors embedded in the network. On the other hand, their dynamic adaptability and capability to conform to higher volatility can lead towards compelling solutions. In this position paper we propose a set of desiderata for a multi-agent design to facilitate coordinating the various actors and alleviate these drawbacks. As the network is becoming more reliant on the power generated by DERs, the role of the balancing market is expected to gain significant importance. The goal is then to maximise the usage of clean energy upon its availability and maintain the delicate balance between supply and demand in real-time. In order to do so, demand should be able to adapt to the volatility in supply and periods of high demand should be synchronized with intervals of higher generation. This can be made possible assuming that consumers can engage in an online, self-interested negotiation for shifting loads and thus adapting their demand. The problem is far from being trivial as the system is ought to react in real-time to sudden changes of the aggregated generation profile in order to balance supply from intermittent renewable resources, while complying with consumer requirements. In the following, we give a list of prerequisites for a novel multi-agents design, with a brief explanation for each: Decentralization. The benefits of applying the multi-agent systems paradigm as an approach for distributed control of the Grid entails primarily: autonomy, scalability, flexibility, exten- sibility, fault tolerance and reduced maintenance (Rob04). The actors existing in the grid (i.e. consumer loads, distributed generators) represent different owners with particular, possibly conflicting user goals and behaviors hence, deploying an agent-based distributed control over the system becomes highly suitable for such a scenario. Moreover, decentralization increases the systems reliability in case of failures, enables local adaptability to dynamic situations at runtime and allows coordination, as opposed to the more complex task of centralised man- agement. Stability. Fairness. Computational and Communication Simplicity. Once the network operator determines that a load control action needs to be executed, this information is pub- lished and becomes available to all actors in the respective region of the grid. Normally,
['Radu-Casian Mihailescu', 'Matteo Vasirani', 'Sascha Ossowski']
Desiderata for Agent-Based Power Regulation Protocols in Smart Grids ?