A Case Study on Distributed Energy Resources and Energy-Storage Systems in a Virtual Power Plant Concept: Economic Aspects

• Main Authors: Tomasz Sikorski, Michał Jasiński, Edyta Ropuszyńska-Surma, Magdalena Węglarz, Dominika Kaczorowska, Paweł Kostyła, Zbigniew Leonowicz, Robert Lis, Jacek Rezmer, Wilhelm Rojewski, Marian Sobierajski, Jarosław Szymańda, Daniel Bejmert, Przemysław Janik
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-11-01
• Series: Energies
• Subjects: virtual power plant; distributed energy resources; energy-storage systems; grid codes; power systems; smart grids; prosumer; business model; management; economic efficiency; sensitivity analysis
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/12/23/4447

This paper analyzes the technical and economic possibilities of integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) and energy-storage systems (ESSs) into a virtual power plant (VPP) and operating them as a single power plant. The purpose of the study is to assess the economic efficiency of the VPP model, which is influenced by several factors such as energy price and energy production. Ten scenarios for the VPP were prepared on the basis of the installed capacities of a hydropower plant (HPP), rooftop solar photovoltaic (PV), and energy-storage system (ESS), as well as weather conditions, in Poland. On the basis of technical conditions, it was assumed that the maximum power capacity of the ESS equaled 1.5 MW. The economic efficiency analysis presented in this paper demonstrated that, in seven years, the VPP will achieve a positive value of the net present value (NPV) for a scenario with 0.5 MW battery storage and rainy summers. Furthermore, sensitivity analysis was conducted on price factors and DER production volume. The price variable had a major impact on the NPV value for all scenarios. The scenario with a 0.5 MW battery and typical summers was highly sensitive to all factors, and its sensitivity decreased as the ESS capacity grew from 0.5 to 1.5 MW.