QuickFlex: a Fast Algorithm for Flexible Region Construction for the TSO-DSO Coordination

TL;DR

QuickFlex is a novel, fast algorithm for constructing the flexibility domain of distribution grids, enabling efficient aggregation of distributed resources for transmission system needs with adjustable accuracy.

Contribution

The paper introduces QuickFlex, a new algorithm that significantly reduces computation time and allows adjustable accuracy in flexibility domain estimation for distribution grids.

Findings

QuickFlex requires fewer iterations than existing methods.

It outperforms previous methods in speed and accuracy.

Performance is consistent across different grid sizes.

Abstract

Most of the new technological changes in power systems are expected to take place in distribution grids. The enormous potential for distribution flexibility could meet the transmission system's needs, changing the paradigm of generator-centric energy and ancillary services provided to a demand-centric one, by placing more importance on smaller resources, such as flexible demands and electric vehicles. For unlocking such capabilities, it is essential to understand the aggregated flexibility that can be harvested from the large population of new technologies located in distribution grids. Distribution grids, therefore, could provide aggregated flexibility at the transmission level. To date, most computational methods for estimating the aggregated flexibility at the interface between distribution grids and transmission grids have the drawback of requiring significant computational time, which hinders their applicability. This paper presents a new algorithm, coined as QuickFlex} for constructing the flexibility domain of distribution grids. Contrary to previous methods, a priory flexibility domain accuracy can be selected. Our method requires few iterations for constructing the flexibility region. The number of iterations needed is mainly independent of the distribution grid's input size and flexible elements. Numerical experiments are performed in four grids ranging from 5 nodes to 123 nodes. It is shown that QuickFlex outperforms existing proposals in the literature in both speed and accuracy.