Virtual power plant operation device and virtual power plant operation method

Abstract

A virtual power plant operation method according to an embodiment of the present invention is a virtual power plant (VPP) operation method by a virtual power plant (VPP) operation device associated with a plurality of demand response (DR) resources, and may include: allocating a power reduction amount to each of the DR resources in response to a power reduction request; when a request to sell at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources, providing information on power for sale to the remaining DR resources; and calculating a power transaction price including at least one of a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource based on a result of the sale when it is determined to purchase the one or more second DR resources for the sale.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0113266, filed on August 29, 2023, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a virtual power plant operating device and a virtual power plant operating method, and more particularly to a virtual power plant operating device associated with a plurality of demand response (DR) resources and a virtual power plant operating method performed thereby. Background Art

[0003] Distributed energy resources (DERs) are electricity resources that are connected to the grid and can provide power or support electricity during peak demand. Examples of DERs include distributed generation (DGs), energy storage systems (ESSs), and demand resources.

[0004] Distributed power sources and small-scale ESSs are becoming increasingly common, but their dispersion across various facilities, such as homes and buildings, limits their integrated operation. To address this issue, virtual power plants (VPPs) have been proposed. They use ICT to integrate and operate various distributed resources as a single power plant. VPPs can integrate and operate distributed resources that can only be managed individually. They can also improve the accuracy of power generation forecasts by aggregating forecasts for each distributed resource, thereby enhancing the stability of the power grid.

[0005] Based on the type of resource recruitment, virtual power plants can be categorized as supply-based, demand-based, and converged. Demand-based virtual power plants, among others, provide services to stabilize the power grid by reducing power during peak periods using recruited demand response resources. Small-scale facilities such as homes, buildings, and factories primarily participate in virtual power plants as demand response resources. When demand response resources reduce their power usage at the request of the virtual power plant or VPP provider system, participants are compensated by receiving a settlement payment equal to the amount of power reduction.

[0006] In response to a request from the grid to reduce power, the virtual power plant is required to allocate a power reduction amount to each of its associated demand response resources, and each demand response resource is required to perform a demand response equal to the allocated power reduction amount. If a demand response resource fails to reduce some of the allocated power reduction amount, the demand response resource pays a penalty fee to the virtual power plant.

[0007] Typical virtual power plant (VPP) operating methods impose penalty fees on DR resources even when they are unable to perform DR due to ESS failures or insufficient stored power. This can increase the outflow of existing DR resources and reduce the inflow of new ones. Therefore, suitable VPP operating techniques are needed to address these issues. Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a virtual power plant operating device associated with multiple demand response resources.

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, another object of the present invention is to provide a virtual power plant operation method performed by a virtual power plant operation device.

[0011] Technical Solution

[0012] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, an exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a virtual power plant (VPP) operating device, which is configured in a VPP system associated with multiple demand response (DR) resources, and the VPP operating device includes: at least one processor; and a memory for storing at least one instruction executed by the at least one processor.

[0013] In this document, at least one instruction may include: an instruction for allocating a power reduction amount to each DR resource among the DR resources in response to a power reduction request; an instruction for providing information about the power for sale to the remaining DR resources when a request to sell at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources; and an instruction for calculating a power transaction price based on the result of the sale when it is decided to purchase one or more second DR resources for the power for sale, the power transaction price including at least one of a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource.

[0014] The instructions for providing information about the power for sale to the remaining DR resources may include instructions for terminating the sale process and terminating deciding the second DR resource when a predetermined time has passed or when all the amount of power for sale has been sold.

[0015] Instructions for calculating electricity transaction fees may include: instructions for calculating a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the amount of electricity for sale and the total amount of electricity purchased by the second DR resource; and instructions for calculating one or more of a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource based on the SDR.

[0016] As the SDR is higher, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a lower price.

[0017] As the SDR is lower, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated at a higher price.

[0018] At least one instruction may also include: instructions for paying compensation fees according to a predefined general compensation price when the DR resource performs demand response and reduces the amount of electricity allocated to the DR resource itself; and instructions for imposing penalty fees according to a predefined general penalty price at a price higher than the general compensation price when the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of electricity allocated to the DR resource itself.

[0019] The penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a price equal to or lower than the general penalty price. In this article, as the SDR calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased is higher, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a price closer to the general compensation price.

[0020] The compensation price of the second DR resource can be calculated at a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price. In this article, as the SDR calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased is lower, the compensation price of the second DR resource can be calculated at a price closer to the general penalty price.

[0021] The at least one instruction may also include: instructions for paying a compensation fee to the second DR resource according to the compensation price when the second DR resource performs demand response for the amount of electricity purchased from the first DR resource; and instructions for imposing a penalty fee on the first DR resource according to the penalty price.

[0022] To achieve the aforementioned purpose, another exemplary embodiment of the present invention provides a virtual power plant (VPP) operation method performed by a VPP operation device associated with multiple demand response (DR) resources, the VPP operation method including: allocating a power reduction amount to each DR resource among the DR resources in response to a power reduction request; when a request to sell at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources, providing information about the power for sale to the remaining DR resources; and when it is decided to purchase one or more second DR resources for the power for sale, calculating a power transaction price based on the result of the sale, the power transaction price including at least one of a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource.

[0023] Providing information about the power for sale to the remaining DR resources may include terminating the sale process and terminating deciding the second DR resource when a predetermined time has elapsed or when all the amount of power for sale has been sold.

[0024] Calculating the power transaction fee may include: calculating a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the amount of power for sale and the total amount of power purchased by the second DR resource; and calculating one or more of a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource based on the SDR.

[0025] As the SDR is higher, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a lower price.

[0026] As the SDR is lower, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated at a higher price.

[0027] The VPP operating method may further include: when the DR resource performs demand response and reduces the amount of electricity allocated to the DR resource itself, paying compensation fees according to a predefined general compensation price; when the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of electricity allocated to the DR resource itself, imposing penalty fees according to a predefined general penalty price at a price higher than the general compensation price.

[0028] The penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a price equal to or lower than the general penalty price. In this article, as the SDR calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased is higher, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a price closer to the general compensation price.

[0029] The compensation price of the second DR resource can be calculated at a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price. In this article, as the SDR calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased is lower, the compensation price of the second DR resource can be calculated at a price closer to the general penalty price.

[0030] The VPP operating method may further include: paying a compensation fee to the second DR resource according to the compensation price when the second DR resource performs demand response for the amount of power purchased from the first DR resource; and imposing a penalty fee on the first DR resource according to the penalty price.

[0031] Beneficial effects

[0032] According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, non-performance of demand response for grid-side power reduction demands may be minimized by enabling demand response resources to trade their allocated power reduction amounts.

[0033] Furthermore, according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention, by minimizing penalty prices for non-performance of demand response and paying additional compensation prices for additional performance of demand response, cost satisfaction of users participating in demand response may be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0034] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating demand response resources according to the present invention.

[0035] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example implementation of demand response resources according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 3 is a block diagram for illustrating a virtual power plant operating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] Figure 4 is an operational flowchart illustrating a virtual power plant operating method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0038] Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a virtual power plant operating method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a virtual power plant operating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] 10: Energy Storage System

[0041] 20: Load

[0042] 30: Power grid

[0043] 40: VPP operating equipment

[0044] 100: VPP operation equipment

[0045] 200: Demand Response Resources DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0046] The present invention can be modified in various ways and may have many exemplary embodiments, and certain exemplary embodiments have been shown in the drawings and described in more detail in the detailed description. However, it is not intended to limit the present invention to these specific exemplary embodiments, and it will be appreciated that the present invention includes all modifications, equivalents, or alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. When describing each of the drawings, similar reference numerals in the drawings refer to the same or similar functions.

[0047] Terms such as first, second, A, and B are used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used to distinguish one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, the first component can be named as the second component, and similarly, the second component can be named as the first component. The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple associated description items or any one of multiple associated description items.

[0048] It should be understood that when a component is referred to as being “coupled to” or “connected to” another component, the component may be directly coupled to or connected to the other component, but intervening elements may also be present. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being “directly coupled to” or “directly connected to” another component, it should be understood that there are no intervening elements.

[0049] The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific exemplary embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions used herein include plural expressions unless they have clear opposite meanings in the context. In this application, it will be appreciated that the terms "including" and "having" are intended to indicate the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements and parts or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not exclude the possibility of pre-existing or adding one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, constituent elements and parts or combinations thereof.

[0050] All terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as those generally understood by those skilled in the art unless they are defined differently. Terms defined in general dictionaries should be interpreted as having meanings that match their meanings in the context of the relevant technology and should not be interpreted as idealized or overly formal meanings unless they are explicitly defined in this application.

[0051] Some terms used in this specification are defined below.

[0052] The state of charge (SOC) is the current state of charge of the battery expressed in percentage (%), and the state of health (SOH) is the current state of degradation of the battery expressed in percentage (%).

[0053] A battery rack is the smallest single structural system of modules or groups of units set by the battery manufacturer that are connected in series or parallel and can be monitored and controlled by a BMS, and can be composed of multiple battery packs or battery modules and one BPU or protection device.

[0054] A battery bank may refer to a larger group of battery rack systems configured by connecting multiple racks in parallel. A rack BMS (RBMS) in units of battery racks may be monitored and controlled by a BMS at the battery bank level.

[0055] A battery system controller (BSC) is a device that performs the highest-level control of a battery system including a bank-level battery system, and is also used as a control device in a battery system having a multi-bank-level structure.

[0056] A virtual power plant system refers to a collection of hardware and software for the operation of a virtual power plant (VPP). A VPP can be included and implemented on a single physical device, or can be implemented while being distributed across multiple physical devices.

[0057] Demand response resources refer to facilities associated with the VPP system and control power resources in response to demand response requests from the VPP system. Demand response resources can be various facilities such as houses, buildings, and factories, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these entities.

[0058] Demand response (DR) involves regulating grid power usage to meet demand response requests by controlling power resources. DR resources associated with demand-based virtual power plants (DVPs) can fulfill DR by reducing grid power usage by the amount allocated to the DR resources.

[0059] A demand response request is a request for control of a power resource or a request for a change in power usage of a demand response resource. Here, the demand response request may include at least one of a demand response time period and a demand response power amount (eg, power reduction amount).

[0060] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating demand response resources according to the present invention.

[0062] The demand response resource according to the present invention may include an energy storage system 10 and a load 20 .

[0063] The energy storage system 10 may receive power from the electric power grid 30 and store the received grid power internally.

[0064] The load 20 may be electrically connected to the energy storage system 10 and the electric power grid 30 , and may receive electric power from one or more of the energy storage system 10 and the electric power grid 30 .

[0065] The energy storage system 10 may be connected to the VPP operating device 40 via a network, and may transmit and receive data with the VPP operating device 40. Here, the energy storage system 10 may be connected to the VPP operating device 40 via a wired or wireless network.

[0066] The energy storage system 10 may receive information about the demand response request from the VPP operating device 40. Here, the information about the demand response request may include a demand response time period and a demand response power amount (eg, power reduction amount).

[0067] The VPP operating device 40 may be configured to be included in a VPP system. The VPP operating device 40 may be managed by an intermediary operator that recruits VPP service participants and demand response resources and provides VPP services. When a power spike occurs on the power grid, the VPP operating device 40 may generate a demand response (DR) request and send it to the energy storage system 10 configured with the demand response resources.

[0068] The energy storage system 10 monitors the status of its internal power resources and controls the charging and discharging of its internal batteries according to a pre-established operation plan. Upon receiving a DR request from the VPP operator 40, the energy storage system 10 can adjust the battery's operation plan in response to the demand response request. For example, upon receiving a request from the VPP operator 40 to reduce power by 10 kWh, the energy storage system 10 can control the battery to discharge 10 kWh to fulfill the demand response.

[0069] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example implementation of demand response resources according to an example embodiment of the present invention.

[0070] The demand response resource according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may correspond to a house including an energy storage system 10. The energy storage system 10 may include: a power generation device 11 that generates electricity; a battery system 12 that stores electricity; an energy management device 14 that manages and controls components of the energy storage system; and a power conversion device 13 that is connected to the power generation device 11, the battery system 12, and the power grid 30 to convert electricity.

[0071] The power generation device 11 is a device configured on a demand response resource to generate electricity, and may include at least one of photovoltaic, solar thermal, wind power, and geothermal power generation devices. For example, the power generation device 11 may correspond to a photovoltaic (PV) system 110 ′.

[0072] The battery system 12 may include one or more battery modules, battery packs, or battery racks. The battery system 12 may include a battery management system (BMS). The BMS may monitor the battery's current, voltage, and temperature, calculate the state of charge (SOC) based on the monitoring results, and control charging and discharging.

[0073] The power conversion device 13 can control the power output from the power generation device 11, the charging and discharging power of the battery system 12, and the power supplied to the load 20. Here, the power conversion device 13 can control the charging and discharging operation of the battery system 12 according to the operation plan established by the energy management device 14. The power conversion device 13 may include an AC / DC inverter that converts the DC output of the power generation device 11 and the battery system 12 into AC output and supplies the converted AC power to the load 20.

[0074] Energy management device 14 can collect status information about power generation equipment 11, battery system 12, power conversion equipment 13, load 20, and power grid 30 to monitor each configuration. This status information may include at least one of the following: grid power supply, power production, power consumption, the operating status of battery system 12, and the battery charge status. Energy management device 14 can connect to sensors capable of sensing specific status information, or to management equipment for a specific power resource (e.g., a battery management system) to collect status information about that power resource.

[0075] The energy management device 14 may correspond to or be implemented as included in the highest-level control device of the ESS. For example, the energy management device 14 may correspond to or be implemented as included in a home energy management system (HEMS), which is the highest-level control system within a residential ESS.

[0076] The energy management device 14 may be connected to the user terminal 15 via a network to transmit and receive data to and from each other.

[0077] User terminal 15 may be a computing device managed by a user who manages demand response resources. Here, user terminal 15 can receive and display information about the status and operation of the ESS from energy management device 14. Furthermore, user terminal 15 can receive user-selected information about the operation of the ESS and transmit this information to energy management device 14. Furthermore, user terminal 15 can connect to VPP operation device 40 via a network and transmit this information directly to VPP operation device 40.

[0078] The energy storage system 10 may be implemented as a DC coupled ESS, such as Figure 2 , where a power generation device 11 and a battery system 12 are coupled to a DC line. Figure 2 The energy storage system 10 shown in FIG. 1 is an example for clarifying the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the detailed structure of the ESS.

[0079] Figure 3 is a block diagram for illustrating a virtual power plant operating apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0080] The VPP operating device 100 is associated with a plurality of DR resources 200-1 to 200-N. Here, the VPP operating device 100 may be connected to a user terminal or an energy management device of each of the DR resources via a network and transmit and receive data to and from each other.

[0081] When a power peak occurs in the power grid, the VPP operating device 100 may generate DR request information and transmit it to the DR resources. The DR request information transmitted to each of the DR resources may include a power reduction amount allocated to each DR resource.

[0082] When a DR resource performs demand response and reduces the amount of power allocated to the DR resource itself, the VPP operating device 100 can pay compensation to the user of the DR resource. Here, the VPP operating device 100 can calculate the compensation based on the power reduction amount of the DR resource and a predefined general compensation price, and can pay the calculated compensation to the user account of the DR resource.

[0083] For example, when the DR resource #1 performs a power reduction of 20 kWh and a general compensation price is defined as 100 KRW / kWh, the VPP operating apparatus 100 may pay a compensation fee of 2000 KRW (20*100) to the user of the DR resource #1.

[0084] When a DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the power allocated to the DR resource, the VPP operating device 100 may impose a penalty fee on the user of the DR resource. The VPP operating device 100 may calculate the penalty fee based on the amount of power that the DR resource failed to meet its demand response requirements and a predefined general penalty price, and may receive the calculated penalty fee from the user's account of the DR resource. In an exemplary embodiment, the general penalty price may be defined as a price that is higher than the general compensation price.

[0085] For example, if DR resource #1 fails to reduce its allocated 20 kWh by 15 kWh and the general penalty price is defined as 150 KRW / kWh, the VPP operating device 100 may impose a penalty fee of 2250 KRW (15 * 150) on the user of DR resource #1. Since DR resource #1 has already reduced its allocated 5 kWh, the final penalty fee can be determined to be 1750 KRW, which is obtained by subtracting the compensation fee of 500 KRW (5 * 100) from 2250 KRW.

[0086] The VPP operating device 100 can support DR resources in trading their allocated power reductions. That is, when a specific DR resource fails to fulfill its allocated power reduction due to a failure of the ESS or a lack of stored power, the VPP operating device 100 can support the DR resource in selling the power allocated to another DR resource.

[0087] In this context, the VPP operating device 100 may pay a separate compensation fee, separate from the general compensation fee, to DR resources that purchase allocated power and perform additional demand response. Furthermore, the VPP operating device 100 may also impose a separate penalty fee, separate from the general penalty fee, on DR resources that sell allocated power but fail to perform at least a portion of demand response.

[0088] Figure 4 is an operational flow chart illustrating a virtual power plant operating method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a virtual power plant operating method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0089] The virtual power plant operating method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be executed by a VPP operating device located within a VPP system.

[0090] The VPP operating device may receive a power reduction request from an external device ( S410 ). Here, the power reduction request may be received from a device monitoring the power grid and may include a total power reduction amount required by the power grid.

[0091] The VPP operating device may allocate a power reduction amount to each of the DR resources in response to the received power reduction request (S420). For example, when a total power reduction of 100 KWh is required, the VPP operating device may allocate a power reduction amount of 20 KWh to each of the five DR resources, such as Figure 5 As shown in .

[0092] The VPP operating device may transmit information about the allocated power to each of the DR resources. Here, the allocated power information may include a demand response power amount (power reduction amount) and a demand response time period.

[0093] The VPP operating device may receive a request to sell at least a portion of the allocated power reduction from a specific DR resource (hereinafter referred to as a first DR resource) among the DR resources (S430). Figure 5 As shown in , DR resource #1 (the first DR resource) can request the VPP operating device to sell 10 kWh of the allocated 20 kWh of electricity. Figure 5 Unlike shown in , the first DR resource may request to sell the entire amount of allocated power (20 kWh).

[0094] The VPP operating device may provide information on the power to be sold to the remaining DR resources (S440). Here, the information on the power to be sold may include the additional demand response power amount (the amount of power to be additionally reduced) and the demand response time period. For example, Figure 5 As shown in , the VPP operating device may transmit the amount of power for sale (10 kWh) to the remaining DR resources (DR resource #2 to DR resource #5) except DR resource #1 (the first DR resource) and request a response as to whether to purchase the power.

[0095] The power selling process (or power trading process) may be run for a predetermined time. At this time, when the predetermined time has passed or when all the power for sale has been sold, the VPP operating device may terminate the selling process (or power trading process).

[0096] When the power transaction is completed (Yes in S450), the VPP operating device may decide to purchase one or more DR resources (hereinafter referred to as second DR resources) for the sold power and the amount of power to be purchased. Figure 5 As shown in , when DR resource #2 purchases 3 kWh, DR resource #5 purchases 5 kWh, and the power trading process is terminated after the set time has passed, the VPP operating device can decide DR resource #2 and DR resource #5 as the second DR resources, and determine the total amount of electricity purchased to be 8 kWh.

[0097] The VPP operating device may calculate a power transaction price based on the sales result (S460). Here, the power transaction price may include one or more of a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource.

[0098] The VPP operating device may calculate a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on one or more of the amount of power for sale, the total amount of power purchased, a general penalty price, and a general compensation price.

[0099] In an exemplary embodiment, the VPP operating device may calculate a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource based on a ratio of a total amount of power purchased to an amount of power for sale.

[0100] Specifically, the VPP operating device may calculate a supply-demand ratio (SDR) according to the following Equation 1, and may calculate a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource based on the calculated SDR.

[0101] [Equation 1]

[0102]

[0103] (P sell is the amount of electricity sold by the first DR resource, and P buy is the total amount of electricity purchased by the second DR resource)

[0104] Here, the penalty price of the first DR resource may be defined such that the higher the SDR calculated by Equation 1, the lower the calculated price. That is, when the first DR resource has sold the amount of allocated power through the power transaction according to the present invention, as the amount of purchased power is higher, the penalty fee for non-performance of demand response that may be imposed is lower.

[0105] In addition, the compensation price of the second DR resource can be defined so that the calculated price is higher as the SDR is lower. That is, when the second DR resource has purchased the allocated amount of power through the power transaction according to the present invention, the compensation fee that can be paid for the additional performance of demand response is higher as the amount of purchased power is lower.

[0106] In an exemplary embodiment, the penalty price of the first DR resource may be defined as being calculated at a general penalty price or lower. In this article, the penalty price of the first DR resource may be defined as being calculated at a price closer to the general compensation price as the SDR is higher. For example, when the general penalty price is defined as 150 KRW / kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 KRW / kWh, the penalty price of the first DR resource may be calculated at 150 KRW / kWh or lower. Here, the penalty price of the first DR resource may converge to 100 KRW / kWh while decreasing as the SDR is higher (i.e., as the total amount of electricity purchased is larger). Therefore, when a portion of the allocated amount of electricity cannot be reduced, the user of the DR resource may sell the allocated electricity to another user through the power trading process of the present invention, thereby partially reducing the imposed penalty fee.

[0107] The VPP operating device may calculate the penalty price of the first DR resource based on Equation 2 below.

[0108] [Equation 2]

[0109]

[0110] (λ sell is the penalty price of the first DR resource, λ pen is the general penalty price, and λ grid is the general compensation price)

[0111] According to Equation 2, when the general penalty price is defined as 150 KRW / kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 KRW / kWh, when the SDR is 0, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated as 150 KRW / kWh. When the SDR is 0.5, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated as 120 KRW / kWh. When the SDR is 0.8, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated as 107.1 KRW / kWh. When the SDR is 1, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated as 100 KRW / kWh.

[0112] In an exemplary embodiment, the compensation price of the second DR resource may be defined as being calculated at a general compensation price or higher. In this document, the compensation price of the second DR resource may be defined as being calculated at a price closer to the general penalty price as the SDR is lower. For example, when the general penalty price is defined as 150 KRW / kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 KRW / kWh, the compensation price of the second DR resource may be calculated at 100 KRW / kWh or higher. In this document, the lower the SDR (i.e., as the total amount of electricity purchased is lower), the compensation price of the second DR resource is calculated at a higher price, and may converge to 150 KRW / kWh when the SDR is close to 0. Therefore, when additional demand response can be fulfilled, the user of the DR resource can receive additional compensation fees that are higher than the general compensation fee by purchasing the allocated electricity from another user according to the power trading process of the present invention.

[0113] The VPP operating device may calculate the compensation price of the second DR resource based on Equation 2 above and Equation 3 below.

[0114] [Equation 3]

[0115]

[0116] (λ buy is the compensation price for the second DR resource)

[0117] According to Equations 2 and 3, when the general penalty price is defined as 150 KRW / kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 KRW / kWh, when the SDR is 0.1, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated as 149.3 KRW / kWh. Furthermore, when the SDR is 0.5, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated as 135 KRW / kWh. Furthermore, when the SDR is 0.8, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated as 115.7 KRW / kWh. Furthermore, when the SDR is 1, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated as 100 KRW / kWh.

[0118] When the second DR resource performs demand response for the amount of electricity purchased from the first DR resource, the VPP operating device may calculate a compensation fee based on the compensation price calculated in S460 and pay the calculated compensation fee to the user of the second DR resource. In addition, the VPP operating device may calculate a penalty fee based on the penalty price calculated in S460 and impose the calculated penalty fee on the user of the first DR resource.

[0119] Figure 6 is a block diagram of a VPP operating device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0120] The VPP operating apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be located in a VPP system associated with a plurality of DR resources.

[0121] The VPP operating device 100 may include at least one processor 110 , a memory 120 storing at least one instruction executable via the processor, and a transceiver device 130 performing communication via a network.

[0122] At least one instruction may include: an instruction for allocating a power reduction amount to each DR resource among the DR resources in response to a power reduction request; an instruction for providing information about the power for sale to the remaining DR resources when a request to sell at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources; and an instruction for calculating a power transaction price based on the result of the sale when it is decided to purchase one or more second DR resources for the power for sale, the power transaction price including at least one of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource.

[0123] The instructions for providing information about the power for sale to the remaining DR resources may include instructions for terminating the sale process and terminating deciding the second DR resource when a predetermined time has passed or when all the amount of power for sale has been sold.

[0124] Instructions for calculating electricity transaction fees may include: instructions for calculating a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the amount of electricity for sale and the total amount of electricity purchased by the second DR resource; and instructions for calculating one or more of a penalty price of the first DR resource and a compensation price of the second DR resource based on the SDR.

[0125] As the SDR is higher, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a lower price.

[0126] As the SDR is lower, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated at a higher price.

[0127] At least one instruction may include: an instruction to pay a compensation fee according to a predefined general compensation price when the DR resource performs demand response and reduces the amount of electricity allocated to the DR resource itself; and an instruction to impose a penalty fee according to a predefined general penalty price at a price higher than the general compensation price when the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of electricity allocated to the DR resource itself.

[0128] The penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a price equal to or lower than the general penalty price. In this article, as the SDR calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased is higher, the penalty price of the first DR resource can be calculated at a price closer to the general compensation price.

[0129] The compensation price of the second DR resource can be calculated at a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price. In this article, as the SDR calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased is lower, the compensation price of the second DR resource can be calculated at a price closer to the general penalty price.

[0130] The at least one instruction may also include: instructions for paying a compensation fee to the second DR resource according to the compensation price when the second DR resource performs demand response for the amount of electricity purchased from the first DR resource; and instructions for imposing a penalty fee on the first DR resource according to the penalty price.

[0131] The VPP operating device 100 may further include an input interface device 140 , an output interface device 150 , a storage device 160 , etc. Each of the components included in the VPP operating device 100 may be connected through a bus 170 to communicate with each other.

[0132] Herein, processor 110 may refer to a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a dedicated processor, on which the method according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention is executed. Memory (or storage device) may include at least one of a volatile storage medium and a non-volatile storage medium. For example, the memory may be composed of at least one of a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

[0133] The operation of the method according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be implemented as a computer-readable program or code on a computer-readable recording medium. Computer-readable recording media include all types of recording devices in which data readable by a computer system is stored. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed among network-connected computer systems to store and execute the computer-readable program or code in a distributed manner.

[0134] Although some aspects of the present invention have been described in the context of apparatuses, they may also be presented as descriptions based on corresponding methods, where blocks or apparatuses correspond to method operations or features of method operations. Similarly, aspects described in the context of methods may also refer to corresponding blocks or items or features of corresponding apparatuses. Some or all of the method operations may be performed by (or using) hardware devices (such as, for example, microprocessors, programmable computers, or electronic circuits). In some exemplary embodiments, one or more of the most important method operations may be performed by such apparatuses.

[0135] While the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred exemplary embodiments thereof, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the appended patent claims.

Claims

1. A virtual power plant operating device, configured in a virtual power plant system associated with a plurality of demand response resources, the virtual power plant operating device comprising: at least one processor; as well as a memory for storing at least one instruction to be executed by the at least one processor, The at least one instruction includes: instructions for allocating a power reduction amount to each of the demand response resources in response to a power reduction request; instructions for, upon receiving a request from a first demand response resource among the demand response resources to sell at least a portion of the allocated power reduction, providing information about the power to be sold to the remaining demand response resources; and Instructions for calculating an electricity transaction price based on a result of the sale when it is decided to purchase one or more second demand response resources for the electricity sold, the electricity transaction price including at least one of a penalty price for the first demand response resource and a compensation price for the second demand response resource.

2. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions for providing the information about the power for sale to the remaining demand response resources include instructions for terminating the selling process and terminating deciding the second demand response resource when a predetermined time has passed or when all the power for sale has been sold.

3. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 1, wherein: The instructions for calculating the electricity transaction fee include: instructions for calculating a supply-demand ratio based on the amount of electricity available for sale and the total amount of electricity purchased by the second demand response resource; and Instructions for calculating one or more of a penalty price for the first demand response resource and a compensation price for the second demand response resource based on the supply-demand ratio.

4. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 3, wherein: As the supply-demand ratio is higher, the penalty price of the first demand response resource is calculated at a lower price.

5. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 3, wherein: As the supply-demand ratio is lower, the compensation price of the second demand response resource is calculated at a higher price.

6. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one instruction further comprises: Instructions for paying compensation according to a predefined general compensation price when a demand response resource performs demand response and reduces the amount of power allocated to the demand response resource itself; and Instructions for imposing a penalty fee according to a general penalty price predefined at a price higher than the general compensation price when a demand response resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of power allocated to the demand response resource itself.

7. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 6, wherein: The penalty price of the first demand response resource is calculated at a price that is equal to or lower than the general penalty price.

8. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 7, wherein: The penalty price of the first demand response resource is calculated at a price closer to the general compensation price as the supply-demand ratio calculated based on the amount of power for sale and the total amount of power purchased becomes higher.

9. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 6, wherein: The compensation price for the second demand response resource is calculated at a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price.

10. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 9, wherein: The compensation price for the second demand response resource is calculated at a price closer to the general penalty price as the supply-demand ratio calculated based on the amount of power for sale and the total amount of power purchased becomes lower.

11. The virtual power plant operating device according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one instruction further comprises: instructions for paying compensation to the second demand response resource according to the compensation price when the second demand response resource performs demand response for the amount of electricity purchased from the first demand response resource; and Instructions for imposing a penalty fee on the first demand response resource based on the penalty price.

12. A method for operating a virtual power plant performed by a virtual power plant operating device associated with a plurality of demand response resources, the method comprising: allocating a power reduction amount to each of the demand response resources in response to the power reduction request; when receiving a request to sell at least a portion of the allocated power reduction from a first demand response resource among the demand response resources, providing information about the power for sale to the remaining demand response resources; as well as When it is decided to purchase one or more second demand response resources for the electricity to be sold, an electricity transaction price is calculated based on the result of the sale, and the electricity transaction price includes at least one of a penalty price of the first demand response resource and a compensation price of the second demand response resource.

13. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 12, wherein: Providing the information about the power for sale to the remaining demand response resources includes terminating a sale process and terminating deciding on the second demand response resource when a predetermined time has elapsed or when all the power for sale has been sold.

14. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 12, wherein: Calculation of the electricity transaction fee includes: calculating a supply-demand ratio based on the amount of electricity for sale and the total amount of electricity purchased by the second demand response resource; and One or more of a penalty price for the first demand response resource and a compensation price for the second demand response resource are calculated based on the supply-demand ratio.

15. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 14, wherein: As the supply-demand ratio is higher, the penalty price of the first demand response resource is calculated at a lower price.

16. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 14, wherein: As the supply-demand ratio is lower, the compensation price of the second demand response resource is calculated at a higher price.

17. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 12, further comprising: When a demand response resource performs demand response and reduces the amount of power allocated to the demand response resource itself, compensation is paid according to a predefined general compensation price; and When a demand response resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of power allocated to the demand response resource itself, a penalty fee is imposed according to a general penalty price that is predefined at a price higher than the general compensation price.

18. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 17, wherein: The penalty price of the first demand response resource is calculated at a price that is equal to or lower than the general penalty price.

19. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 18, wherein: The penalty price of the first demand response resource is calculated at a price closer to the general compensation price as the supply-demand ratio calculated based on the amount of power for sale and the total amount of power purchased becomes higher.

20. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 17, wherein: The compensation price for the second demand response resource is calculated at a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price.

21. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 20, wherein: The compensation price for the second demand response resource is calculated at a price closer to the general penalty price as the supply-demand ratio calculated based on the amount of power for sale and the total amount of power purchased becomes lower.

22. The virtual power plant operating method according to claim 12, further comprising: When the second demand response resource performs demand response for the amount of electricity purchased from the first demand response resource, paying the compensation fee to the second demand response resource according to the compensation price; and A penalty fee is imposed on the first demand response resource according to the penalty price.

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