Virtual Power Plant Digital Twins: Ensuring Seamless Deployment via Standard Architectures

Abstract

Digitalization is transforming power systems in multiple ways, driving efficiency, flexibility, and sustainability to new levels. Examples of such transformations have been visible since the introduction of the supervisory control and data acquisition and energy management systems several decades ago, enhancing overall network stability and reliability and enabling better prediction of faults and more rapid response to disruptions. Since then, investments in new monitoring and communication technologies have resulted in an advanced metering infrastructure capable of collecting large amounts of data, ranging from assets and devices to the system level. Data availability leads to advanced digital models and platforms, helping to resolve open challenges in modern power systems, including handling increasing levels of renewable energy, controllability of large numbers of distributed energy resources (DERs), and the need for faster and more flexible operational decision-making models. In this context, the concept of virtual power plants (VPPs) has emerged, facilitating the decentralized dispatch and control of larger numbers of DERs, such as solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage systems, electric vehicles, and flexible loads, via a digital platform that enables a unified coordination. Building on top of this digital platform, digital twins (DTs) can facilitate VPP operation and planning.