Virtual power plant operation device and virtual power plant operation method

Abstract

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

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This application claims the benefit of the filing date of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0113266, filed with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on August 29, 2023, and all of the contents disclosed in the documents of that Korean patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present invention relates to a virtual power plant operation device and a virtual power plant operation method, and more particularly to a virtual power plant operation device associated with a plurality of demand response (DR) resources and a virtual power plant operation method using the same. [Background technology]

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

[0004] Distributed power sources and small-scale ESSs have become widespread, but they are scattered across various facilities such as homes and buildings, limiting their integrated operation. To solve this problem, a virtual power plant (VPP) has been proposed, which uses ICT technology to integrate and operate various distributed resources as if they were a single power plant. A virtual power plant can integrate and operate distributed resources that were previously managed individually, and can improve the accuracy of power generation forecasts through combined forecasts for each distributed resource, thereby improving the stability of the power grid.

[0005] Virtual power plants can be classified into supply-type, demand-type, and integrated types depending on the type of resource solicitation. Among these, demand-type virtual power plants utilize solicited demand response resources to provide a service that stabilizes the power grid by reducing power consumption during peak power consumption. Small facilities such as homes, buildings, and factories mainly participate in virtual power plants as demand response resources. When demand response resources reduce power consumption at the request of the virtual power plant or intermediary provider (VPP) system, participants can be compensated by receiving a settlement fee corresponding to the amount of power reduction.

[0006] In response to a request for power reduction from the grid, the virtual power plant allocates a power reduction amount to each of the associated demand response resources, and each demand response resource must perform a demand response by the allocated power reduction amount. If a demand response resource is unable to reduce part of the allocated power amount, it must pay a certain penalty cost to the virtual power plant.

[0007] According to such a general virtual power plant operation method, even if demand response cannot be performed due to an ESS failure or a lack of stored power, a penalty cost is imposed on the demand response resource, which may increase the withdrawal of existing demand response resources and reduce the inflow of new demand response resources. Therefore, an appropriate virtual power plant operation technology that can solve these problems is needed. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to solve the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a virtual power plant operation device associated with a plurality of demand response resources.

[0009] Another object of the present invention to solve the above problems is to provide a method for operating a virtual power plant using such a virtual power plant operating device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] To achieve the above object, one embodiment of the present invention provides a virtual power plant operation device configured in a virtual power plant (VPP) system associated with a plurality of demand response (DR) resources, and including at least one processor; and a memory that stores at least one instruction executed through the at least one processor.

[0011] Here, the at least one instruction may include an instruction to allocate a power reduction amount to each of the DR resources in response to a power reduction request; an instruction to provide information about the sold power to the remaining DR resources when a sales request for at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources; and an instruction to calculate a power trading price, including one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource, based on the sales result when one or more second DR resources that have purchased the sold power are determined.

[0012] The instruction to provide the remaining DR resources with information about the sold power may include an instruction to terminate the sales procedure and determine the second DR resource when a predetermined time has elapsed or when all the sold power has been sold.

[0013] The instructions for calculating the electricity trading cost may include instructions for calculating a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the amount of sold electricity and the total amount of purchased electricity purchased by the second DR resource; and instructions for calculating one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on the SDR.

[0014] The penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a lower price as the SDR is higher.

[0015] The compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a higher price as the SDR is lower.

[0016] The at least one instruction may include an instruction to pay a compensation cost according to a predefined general compensation price when the DR resource performs a demand response and reduces the amount of power allocated to the DR resource; and an instruction to impose a penalty cost according to a predefined general penalty price that is higher than the general compensation price when the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of power allocated to the DR resource.

[0017] The penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a price equal to or lower than the general penalty price. Here, the penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a price closer to the general compensation price as the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of sold power and the total amount of purchased power increases.

[0018] The compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price. Here, the compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a price closer to the general penalty price as the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of sold power and the total amount of purchased power is lower.

[0019] The at least one instruction may further include: an instruction to pay a compensation cost according to the compensation price to the second DR resource when the second DR resource performs a demand response for the amount of power purchased from the first DR resource; and an instruction to impose a penalty cost according to the penalty price on the first DR resource.

[0020] To achieve the other object, a virtual power plant operation method according to one embodiment of the present invention is a VPP operation method by a virtual power plant (VPP) operation device associated with a plurality of demand response (DR) resources, the VPP operation method including: allocating a power reduction amount to each of the DR resources in response to a power reduction request; providing information about sold power to the remaining DR resources when a sales request for at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources; and calculating an energy trading price, including one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on a sales result when one or more second DR resources that have purchased the sold power are determined.

[0021] The step of providing the information about the sold power to the remaining DR resources may include a step of terminating the sales procedure and determining the second DR resource when a predetermined time has elapsed or when all the sold power has been sold.

[0022] The step of calculating the electricity trading cost may include the steps of: calculating a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the amount of sold electricity and the total amount of purchased electricity purchased by the second DR resource; and calculating one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on the SDR.

[0023] The penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a lower price as the SDR is higher.

[0024] The compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a higher price as the SDR is lower.

[0025] The VPP operation method may further include a step of paying a compensation cost according to a predefined general compensation price when the DR resource performs a demand response and reduces the amount of power allocated to the DR resource; and a step of imposing a penalty cost according to a predefined general penalty price that is higher than the general compensation price when the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of power allocated to the DR resource.

[0026] The penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a price equal to or lower than the general penalty price. Here, the penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a price closer to the general compensation price as the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of sold power and the total amount of purchased power increases.

[0027] The compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price. Here, the compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a price closer to the general penalty price as the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of sold power and the total amount of purchased power is lower.

[0028] The VPP operation method may further include a step of paying a compensation cost according to the compensation price to the second DR resource when the second DR resource performs a demand response for the amount of power purchased from the first DR resource; and a step of imposing a penalty cost according to the penalty price on the first DR resource. [Effects of the Invention]

[0029] According to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, demand response resources are supported to trade the allocated power reduction amount, thereby minimizing non-fulfillment of demand response in response to a power reduction request on the grid side.

[0030] Furthermore, according to the above-described embodiment of the present invention, the penalty amount due to non-performance of demand response can be minimized, and additional compensation amount can be paid for additional performance of demand response, thereby improving the satisfaction of users participating in demand response in terms of costs. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0031] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a demand response resource according to the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a demand response resource according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a virtual power plant operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is an operational flow diagram showing a virtual power plant operation method according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a method for operating a virtual power plant according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a virtual power plant operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0032] Since the present invention can be modified in various ways and can have various embodiments, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the detailed description. However, it is understood that this is not intended to limit the present invention to the specific embodiments, but rather to include all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives within the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout the drawings.

[0033] Terms such as "first," "second," "A," and "B" may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another. For example, a first component may be termed a "second component," and similarly, a second component may be termed a "first component," without departing from the scope of the present invention. The term "and / or" includes a combination of multiple associated listed items or any of multiple associated listed items.

[0034] When a component is referred to as being "coupled" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that the component may be directly coupled or connected to the other component, but that there may be other components in between. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly coupled" or "directly connected" to another component, it is understood that there are no other components in between.

[0035] The terms used in this application are merely used to describe specific embodiments and are not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expressions include the plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It should be understood that in this application, the terms "comprise" or "have" are intended to specify the presence of features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, and do not preclude the presence or additional possibility of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0036] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms as defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning they have in the context of the relevant art, and should not be interpreted as having an ideal or overly formal meaning unless expressly defined in this application.

[0037] Some terms used in this specification are defined as follows:

[0038] SOC (State of Charge) is the current charged state of the battery expressed as a percentage [%], and SOH (State of Health) is the current deterioration state of the battery expressed as a percentage [%].

[0039] A battery rack is a system with the smallest single structure that can be monitored and controlled through a BMS by connecting modules or pack units set by the battery manufacturer in series or parallel, and can be composed of multiple battery packs or battery modules and one BPU or protection device.

[0040] A battery bank can refer to a large-scale collection of battery rack systems consisting of multiple racks connected in parallel. The battery bank BMS can monitor and control the rack BMS (RBMS) for each battery rack.

[0041] A BSC (Battery System Controller) is a device that performs top-level control of a battery system including a bank-based battery system, and can also be used as a control device in a battery system with a multi-bank level structure.

[0042] A virtual power plant system refers to a collection of hardware and software for the operation of a virtual power plant (VPP), which may be embodied in one physical device or distributed across multiple physical devices.

[0043] A demand response resource refers to a facility that is linked to a virtual power plant (VPP) system and controls power resources in response to a demand response request from the VPP system. Demand response resources may be various facilities such as homes, buildings, and factories, but the scope of the present invention is not limited to these.

[0044] Demand response (DR) refers to controlling power resources to adjust grid power usage to meet demand response requests. Demand response resources linked to a demand-based virtual power plant can reduce grid power usage by the amount of power reduction allocated to them to fulfill demand response.

[0045] The demand response request may include a request to control a power resource or a request to change power consumption for a demand response resource, and may include at least one of a demand response period and a demand response power amount (e.g., a power reduction amount).

[0046] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0047] FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a demand response resource according to the present invention.

[0048] A demand response resource according to the present invention may include an energy storage system 10 and a load 20 .

[0049] The energy storage system 10 is supplied with power from a power grid 30 and is capable of storing the supplied grid power internally.

[0050] The load 20 is electrically connected to the energy storage system 10 and the power grid 30 and can be supplied with power from one or more of the energy storage system 10 and the power grid 30 .

[0051] The energy storage system 10 may be connected to the VPP operation device 40 through a network to transmit and receive data to and from the VPP operation device 40. Here, the energy storage system 10 may be connected to the VPP operation device 40 through a wired or wireless network.

[0052] The energy storage system 10 may receive information regarding a demand response request from the VPP operation device 40. Here, the demand response request information may include a demand response period and a demand response power amount (e.g., a power reduction amount).

[0053] The VPP operation device 40 can be configured to be included in the VPP system. The VPP operation device 40 can be managed by an intermediary that solicits VPP service participants and demand response resources to provide the VPP service. The VPP operation device 40 can generate demand response (DR) request information when a power peak occurs in the power grid and transmit it to the energy storage system 10 configured as a demand response resource.

[0054] The energy storage system 10 monitors the status of its internal power resources and controls the charging and discharging operations of its internally configured battery according to a pre-established operation schedule. Here, if demand response (DR) request information is received from the VPP operation device 40, the energy storage system 10 can adjust the battery operation schedule in response to the demand response request. For example, if a request for a 10 kWh power reduction is received from the VPP operation device 40, the energy storage system 10 can execute the demand response by controlling the battery to discharge only 10 kWh.

[0055] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example of a demand response resource according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] A demand response resource according to an embodiment of the present invention may be a house including an energy storage system 10. Here, 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 a power grid 30 and converts electricity.

[0057] The power generation device 11 is a device configured as a demand response resource to generate electricity, and may include at least one of a power generation device using sunlight, solar heat, wind power, and geothermal energy. For example, the power generation device 11 may correspond to a photovoltaic (PV) system 110'.

[0058] 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 current, voltage, and temperature of the battery, calculate the SOC (Status of Charge) based on the monitoring results, and control charging and discharging.

[0059] 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 in accordance with an operation schedule created by the energy management device 14. The power conversion device 13 can include an AC / DC inverter that converts the DC outputs of the power generation device 11 and the battery system 12 into AC outputs and supplies them to the load 20.

[0060] The energy management device 14 can collect status information on the power generation device 11, the battery system 12, the power conversion device 13, the load 20, and the power grid 30 to monitor each component. Here, the status information can include at least one of the grid power supply amount, the power production amount, the power consumption amount, the operating state of the battery system 12, and the battery charge state. In order to collect status information on the power resources, the energy management device 14 can be connected to a sensor capable of sensing specific status information or a management device (e.g., BMS) for a specific power resource.

[0061] The energy management device 14 may correspond to a top-level control device of the ESS or may be embodied as being included therein. For example, the energy management device 14 may correspond to a Home Energy Management System (HEMS), which is a top-level control system in a residential ESS, or may be embodied as being included therein.

[0062] The energy management device 14 is connected to a user terminal 15 via a network, and can transmit and receive data to and from the user terminal 15.

[0063] The user terminal 15 may be a computing device managed by a user who manages demand response resources. Here, the user terminal 15 can receive and display information related to the status and operation of the ESS from the energy management device 14. The user terminal 15 can also receive user selection information related to the operation of the ESS from the user and transmit the user selection information to the energy management device 14. The user terminal 150 can also be connected to the VPP operation device 40 via a network and transmit the user selection information directly to the VPP operation device 40.

[0064] The energy storage system 10 may be realized as a DC-coupled ESS in which a power generation device 11 and a battery system 12 are connected to a DC line, as shown in Fig. 2. Meanwhile, the energy storage system 10 shown in Fig. 2 is an example for the purpose of clearly explaining the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the detailed structure of the ESS.

[0065] FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a virtual power plant operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0066] The VPP operation device 100 is linked to a plurality of DR resources 200-1 to 200-N. Here, the VPP operation device 100 is connected to the user terminals or energy management devices of the DR resources via a network, and can transmit and receive data to and from each other.

[0067] The VPP operation device 100 may generate DR request information and transmit it to the DR resources when a power peak occurs in the power grid. Here, the DR request information transmitted to each DR resource may include a power reduction amount allocated to each DR resource.

[0068] When the DR resource performs a demand response and reduces the amount of power allocated to it, the VPP operation device 100 can pay a compensation fee to the user of the DR resource. Here, the VPP operation device 100 can calculate the compensation fee based on the reduced amount of power of the DR resource and a predefined general compensation price, and pay the calculated compensation fee to the user account of the DR resource.

[0069] For example, if DR resource #1 reduces power by 20 kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 won / kWh, the VPP operation device 100 can pay a compensation fee of 2,000 won (20*100) to the user of DR resource #1.

[0070] If the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the power allocated to it, the VPP operation device 100 can impose a penalty fee on the user of the DR resource. Here, the VPP operation device 100 can calculate the penalty fee based on the amount of power that the DR resource did not perform demand response on and a predefined general penalty price, and deposit the calculated penalty fee into the user's account of the DR resource. In an embodiment, the general penalty price can be defined as a price higher than the general compensation price.

[0071] For example, if DR resource #1 can only reduce power by 15 kWh out of the allocated 20 kWh and the general penalty price is defined as 150 won / kWh, the VPP operation device 100 can impose a penalty fee of 2,250 won (15 * 150) on the user of DR resource #1. Here, since DR resource #1 has reduced power by only 5 kWh, the final penalty fee can be determined as 1,750 won, which is 2,250 won minus a compensation fee of 500 won (5 * 100).

[0072] The VPP operation device 100 can support DR resources to trade their allocated power curtailment amounts. That is, if a specific DR resource cannot fulfill its allocated power curtailment amount due to an ESS failure or a lack of stored power, the VPP operation device 100 can support the DR resource to sell the allocated power amount to another DR resource.

[0073] Here, the VPP operation device 100 may pay a separate compensation fee, which is different from the general compensation fee, to a DR resource that has purchased allocated power and performed additional demand response. Also, the VPP operation device 100 may impose a separate penalty fee, which is different from the general penalty fee, on a DR resource that has sold allocated power but has not performed at least a part of demand response.

[0074] FIG. 4 is an operational flow diagram showing a VPP operation method according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a virtual power plant operation method according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0075] The VPP operation method according to an embodiment of the present invention can be performed by a VPP operation device located in a VPP system.

[0076] 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 requested from the power grid.

[0077] The VPP operation device can allocate a power reduction amount to each of the DR resources in response to the received power reduction request (S420). For example, if a total power reduction of 100 kWh is required, the VPP operation device can allocate a power reduction amount of 20 kWh to each of the five DR resources, as shown in Figure 5.

[0078] The VPP operation device can transmit information about the allocated power to each of the DR resources. Here, the allocated power information can include the demand response power amount (reduced power amount) and the demand response period.

[0079] The VPP operation device can receive a sales request for at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount from a DR resource, a specific DR resource (hereinafter, the first DR resource) (S430). For example, as shown in FIG. 5, DR resource #1 (first DR resource) can request the VPP operation device to sell 10 kWh of the allocated 20 kWh of power. On the other hand, the first DR resource can request the sale of the entire allocated power amount (20 kWh), unlike the example shown in FIG. 5.

[0080] The VPP operating device can provide information about the sold power to the remaining DR resources (S440). Here, the sold power information can include an additional demand response power amount (the amount of power that must be additionally reduced) and a demand response period. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the VPP operating device can transmit the sold power amount (10 kWh) to the remaining DR resources (DR resources #2 to #5) excluding DR resource #1 (first DR resource) and request a reply regarding whether to purchase.

[0081] The power sales procedure (or power trading procedure) may proceed for a predetermined time, where the VPP operation device may terminate the sales procedure (or power trading procedure) when the predetermined time has elapsed or when all the power to be sold has been sold.

[0082] When the energy trading is completed (YES in S450), the VPP operation device can determine one or more DR resources (hereinafter, second DR resources) that purchased the sold energy and the amount of energy to be purchased. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, if DR resource #2 purchases 3 kWh and DR resource #5 purchases 5 kWh, and then a set time elapses and the energy trading procedure is completed, the VPP operation device can determine DR resource #2 and DR resource #5 as second DR resources and determine the total amount of energy to be purchased as 8 kWh.

[0083] The VPP operation device may calculate an electricity trading price based on the sales result (S460), where the electricity trading price may include one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource.

[0084] The VPP operation device can 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 electricity sold, the total amount of electricity purchased, the general penalty price, and the general compensation price.

[0085] In an embodiment, the VPP operation device may calculate a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on the ratio of the total purchased energy amount to the sold energy amount.

[0086] Specifically, the VPP operation device can calculate a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the following equation 1, and calculate a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on the calculated SDR.

[0087]

number

[0088] (Psell is the amount of power sold by the first DR resource, and Pbuy is the total amount of power purchased by the second DR resource.)

[0089] Here, the penalty price for the first DR resource may be defined to be calculated as a lower price as the SDR calculated by Equation 1 increases. That is, when the first DR resource sells the allocated amount of energy through the energy trading according to the present invention, the penalty cost for non-execution of the demand response may be reduced as the amount of purchased energy increases.

[0090] In addition, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be defined so that it is calculated as a higher price as the SDR is lower. That is, when the second DR resource purchases the allocated amount of power through the power trading according to the present invention, the compensation cost for the additional performance of the demand response can be paid more as the purchased amount of power is lower.

[0091] In an embodiment, the penalty price for the first DR resource may be defined to be calculated as a price equal to or less than the general penalty price. Here, the penalty price for the first DR resource may be defined to be calculated as a price closer to the general compensation price as the SDR is higher. For example, if the general penalty price is defined as 150 won / kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 won / kWh, the penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a price equal to or less than 150 won / kWh. Here, the penalty price for the first DR resource may become lower as the SDR is higher (i.e., the total amount of purchased power is larger), and may converge to 100 won / kWh. Thus, if a user of the DR resource is unable to reduce a portion of the allocated power, the user can reduce a portion of the penalty cost imposed by selling the allocated power to another user through the power trading procedure according to the present invention.

[0092] The VPP operation device can calculate the penalty price for the first DR resource based on the following Equation 2.

[0093]

number

[0094] (λsell is the penalty price for the first DR resource, λpen is the general penalty price, and λgrid is the general compensation price.)

[0095] According to Equation 2, if the general penalty price is defined as 150 won / kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 won / kWh, when the SDR is 0, the penalty price for the first DR resource can be calculated as 150 won / kWh. Also, when the SDR is 0.5, the penalty price for the first DR resource can be calculated as 120 won / kWh. Also, when the SDR is 0.8, the penalty price for the first DR resource can be calculated as 107.1 won / kWh. Also, when the SDR is 1, the penalty price for the first DR resource can be calculated as 100 won / kWh.

[0096] In an embodiment, the compensation price for the second DR resource may be defined to be calculated as a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price. Here, the compensation price for the second DR resource may be defined to be calculated as a price closer to the general penalty price as the SDR is lower. For example, if the general penalty price is defined as 150 won / kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 won / kWh, the compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a price equal to or higher than 100 won / kWh. Here, the compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a higher price as the SDR is lower (i.e., the total amount of purchased power is smaller), and may converge to 150 won / kWh as the SDR approaches 0. As a result, if a user of the DR resource is able to perform additional demand response, the user may receive payment of an additional compensation fee higher than the general compensation fee by purchasing allocated power from other users through the power trading procedure according to the present invention.

[0097] The VPP operation device can calculate the compensation price for the second DR resource based on the above Equation 2 and the following Equation 3.

[0098]

number

[0099] (λbuy is the compensation price for the second DR resource.)

[0100] According to Equations 2 and 3, if the general penalty price is defined as 150 won / kWh and the general compensation price is defined as 100 won / kWh, if the SDR is 0.1, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated as 149.3 won / kWh. Also, if the SDR is 0.5, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated as 135 won / kWh. Also, if the SDR is 0.8, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated as 115.7 won / kWh. Also, if the SDR is 1, the compensation price for the second DR resource can be calculated as 100 won / kWh.

[0101] When the second DR resource performs a demand response for the amount of power purchased from the first DR resource, the VPP operation device can calculate a compensation cost according to the compensation price calculated in S460 and pay it to the user of the second DR resource. Also, the VPP operation device can calculate a penalty cost according to the penalty price calculated in S460 and impose it on the user of the first DR resource.

[0102] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a VPP operation device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0103] The VPP operation device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention may be located in a VPP system associated with multiple DR resources.

[0104] The VPP operation device 100 may include at least one processor 110, a memory 120 that stores at least one instruction executed by the processor, and a transceiver 130 that is connected to a network for communication.

[0105] The at least one instruction may include an instruction to allocate a power reduction amount to each of the DR resources in response to a power reduction request; an instruction to provide information about the sold power to the remaining DR resources when a sales request for at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources; and an instruction to calculate a power trading price, including one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource, based on the sales result when one or more second DR resources that have purchased the sold power are determined.

[0106] The instruction to provide the remaining DR resources with information about the sold power may include an instruction to terminate the sales procedure and determine the second DR resource when a predetermined time has elapsed or when all the sold power has been sold.

[0107] The instructions for calculating the electricity trading cost may include instructions for calculating a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the amount of sold electricity and the total amount of purchased electricity purchased by the second DR resource; and instructions for calculating one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on the SDR.

[0108] The penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a lower price as the SDR is higher.

[0109] The compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a higher price as the SDR is lower.

[0110] The at least one instruction may include an instruction to pay a compensation cost according to a predefined general compensation price when the DR resource performs a demand response and reduces the amount of power allocated to the DR resource; and an instruction to impose a penalty cost according to a predefined general penalty price that is higher than the general compensation price when the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of power allocated to the DR resource.

[0111] The penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a price equal to or lower than the general penalty price. Here, the penalty price for the first DR resource may be calculated as a price closer to the general compensation price as the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of sold power and the total amount of purchased power increases.

[0112] The compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price. Here, the compensation price for the second DR resource may be calculated as a price closer to the general penalty price as the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of sold power and the total amount of purchased power is lower.

[0113] The at least one instruction may further include: an instruction to pay a compensation cost according to the compensation price to the second DR resource when the second DR resource performs a demand response for the amount of power purchased from the first DR resource; and an instruction to impose a penalty cost according to the penalty price on the first DR resource.

[0114] The VPP operation device 100 may further include an input interface device 140, an output interface device 150, a storage device 560, etc. The components included in the operation control device 100 are connected by a bus 170 to communicate with each other.

[0115] Here, the 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 embodiment of the present invention is performed. The memory (or storage device) may be composed of 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).

[0116] The operations of the methods according to the embodiments of the present invention can be embodied as a computer-readable program or code on a computer-readable recording medium. The computer-readable recording medium includes all kinds of storage devices in which data that can be read by a computer system is stored. In addition, the computer-readable recording medium can be distributed among computer systems connected via a network, so that the computer-readable program or code can be stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0117] Some aspects of the invention have been described in the context of an apparatus, but they may also be described in terms of a corresponding method, where a block or apparatus corresponds to a method step or feature of a method step. Similarly, aspects described in the context of a method may be described in terms of a corresponding block or item or feature of a corresponding apparatus. Some or all of the method steps may be performed by (or using) a hardware apparatus, such as a microprocessor, a programmable computer, or an electronic circuit. In some embodiments, one or more of the most important method steps may be performed by such an apparatus.

[0118] Although the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will understand that various modifications and variations of the present invention can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention as set forth in the following claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0119] 10: Energy storage system 20: Load 30: Power grid 40:VPP operation equipment 100:VPP operation equipment 200: Demand response resources

Claims

1. A virtual power plant (VPP) operation device configured in a VPP system associated with a plurality of demand response (DR) resources, at least one processor; and a memory for storing at least one instruction to be executed by said at least one processor; The at least one instruction: instructions for allocating a power reduction amount to each of said DR resources in response to a power reduction request; instructions for providing information about the power to be sold to the remaining DR resources when a request for selling at least a portion of the allocated power curtailment amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources; and and a VPP operation device including instructions for, when one or more second DR resources that have purchased the sold power are determined, calculating an electricity trading price, including one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource, based on a sales result.

2. The instruction to provide information about the sold power to the remaining DR resources includes: The VPP operation device according to claim 1 , further comprising an instruction to terminate a sales procedure and determine the second DR resource when a predetermined time has elapsed or when all of the amount of electricity to be sold has been sold.

3. The instruction to calculate the electricity trading price includes: instructions to calculate a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased by the second DR resource; and The VPP operation apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for calculating one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on the SDR.

4. The penalty price for the first DR resource is The VPP operation device according to claim 3 , wherein the higher the SDR, the lower the calculated price.

5. The compensation price for the second DR resource is The VPP operation device according to claim 3 , wherein the lower the SDR, the higher the calculated price.

6. The at least one instruction: an instruction to pay a compensation cost according to a predefined general compensation price when the DR resource performs a demand response and reduces the amount of power allocated to the DR resource; and 2. The VPP operation device of claim 1, further comprising instructions for imposing a penalty cost according to a predefined general penalty price that is higher than the general compensation price when the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of power allocated to it.

7. The penalty price for the first DR resource is The VPP operation device according to claim 6, wherein the price is calculated as a price equal to or less than the general penalty price.

8. The penalty price for the first DR resource is The VPP operation device according to claim 7, wherein the higher the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased, the closer the calculated price is to the general compensation price.

9. The compensation price for the second DR resource is The VPP operation device according to claim 6, wherein the price is calculated as a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price.

10. The compensation price for the second DR resource is The VPP operation device according to claim 9, wherein the lower the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased, the closer the calculated price is to the general penalty price.

11. The at least one instruction: When the second DR resource performs a demand response for the amount of power purchased from the first DR resource, an order to pay compensation costs to the second DR resource according to the compensation price; and The VPP operation device according to claim 1 , further comprising instructions for imposing a penalty cost according to the penalty price on the first DR resource.

12. A method for operating a virtual power plant (VPP) associated with a plurality of demand response (DR) resources by a VPP operation device, comprising: allocating a power reduction amount to each of the DR resources in response to a power reduction request; When a request for selling at least a portion of the allocated power reduction amount is received from a first DR resource among the DR resources, providing information regarding the sold power to the remaining DR resources; and A VPP operation method comprising: when one or more second DR resources that have purchased sold power are determined, calculating an electricity trading price, including one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource, based on a sales result.

13. The step of providing information about the sold power to the remaining DR resources includes: The VPP operation method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of terminating a sales procedure and determining the second DR resource when a predetermined time has elapsed or when all of the amount of electricity to be sold has been sold.

14. The step of calculating the electricity trading price includes: Calculating a supply-demand ratio (SDR) based on the amount of sold power and the total amount of purchased power purchased by the second DR resource; and The method for operating a VPP according to claim 12, further comprising calculating one or more of a penalty price for the first DR resource and a compensation price for the second DR resource based on the SDR.

15. The penalty price for the first DR resource is The VPP operation method according to claim 14, wherein the higher the SDR, the lower the calculated price.

16. The compensation price for the second DR resource is The VPP operation method according to claim 14, wherein the lower the SDR, the higher the calculated price.

17. When the DR resource performs a demand response to reduce the amount of power allocated to itself, paying a compensation cost according to a predefined general compensation price; and 13. The VPP operation method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of imposing a penalty cost according to a predefined general penalty price that is higher than the general compensation price when the DR resource fails to reduce at least a portion of the amount of power allocated to it.

18. The penalty price for the first DR resource is The VPP operation method according to claim 17, wherein the price is calculated as a price equal to or less than the general penalty price.

19. The penalty price for the first DR resource is The VPP operation method according to claim 18, wherein the higher the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased, the closer the price is calculated to the general compensation price.

20. The compensation price for the second DR resource is The VPP operation method according to claim 17, wherein the price is calculated as a price equal to or higher than the general compensation price.

21. The compensation price for the second DR resource is The VPP operation method according to claim 20, wherein the lower the supply-demand ratio (SDR) calculated based on the amount of electricity sold and the total amount of electricity purchased, the closer the price is calculated to the general penalty price.

22. When the second DR resource performs a demand response for the amount of power purchased from the first DR resource, paying a compensation cost according to the compensation price to the second DR resource; and The VPP operation method according to claim 12, further comprising the step of imposing a penalty cost according to the penalty price on the first DR resource.

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