Presentation
The large scale systems research projects were presented as a group in one single session. You can download a PDF of the combined presentations.
Projects
Exploring user response to dynamic pricing of the residential electricity sector through agent-based modelling
Student: Lilian Garcia Berg
Supervisor(s): Dr Jenny O'Connor (Imperial College Business School), Dr Koen H. van Dam (Department of Chemical Engineering)
Poster: #19 Download PDF
Dynamic tariffs in the electricity sector have many potential benefits such as (1) reducing or reallocating peak demand to offset the need for increased power capacity of the grid, (2) reducing reliance on the most polluting power plants, (3) supporting the integration of intermittent renewable energies (RE), and (4) improving system security by discouraging consumption during grid failures or electricity rationing. However, uncertainties exist as to the effectiveness of such initiatives, given their dependence on the consumer response. This project aims to explore the electricity consumer's decision making process and the key incentives needed to encourage them to change their behaviour in response to dynamic pricing signals.
Evaluating the potential for solar integration in a Moroccan city energy system, with the agent-based model
Student: Gaspard Berge
Supervisor(s): Dr Koen H. van Dam (Department of Chemical Engineering), Gonzalo Bustos Turu (Department of Chemical Engineering)
Poster: #20 Download PDF
According to the IEA baseline scenario, the share of cities in the world’s total energy use will be 73% by 2030. Smart cities are an innovative approach to an integrated energy system including various forms of sustainable energy. Morocco has a rapidly increasing rate of urbanisation, currently more than 90% dependant on energy imports even though there is an abundant solar energy resource. There is a huge potential for an integrated development of solar energy in Morocco’s urban energy systems. The agent-based model is a well-adapted tool to assess the different scenarios considered, aimed at reducing the CO2 emissions and potential impact on the price of electricity.
Sustainable energy systems in islands and cities: potential for mutual learning
Student: Maxime Ferard
Supervisor(s): Dr Koen H. van Dam (Department of Chemical Engineering), Gonzalo Bustos Turu (Department of Chemical Engineering), Professor Remy Courdier (Reunion Island University)
Poster: #21 Download PDF
In the search for solutions to improve the sustainability of energy systems, decision-makers are often looking for successful examples that could be replicated. This raises concerns about the transferability of energy measures between different systems. This project therefore focuses on the comparison of islands’ and cities’ energy systems, using the case of Reunion Island and Greater London. It aims to build a unique modelling and simulation framework for both systems despite their apparent differences and to study their respective behaviour under several electricity pricing mechanisms.
Maximising the Market Value of an Electricity Storage Device
Student: Mazda Rustomji
Supervisor(s): Dr Iain Staffell (Imperial College Business School), Dr Anes Dallagi (EDF), Dr Solmaz Moshiri (EDF)
Poster: #22 Download PDF
The UK’s decarbonisation targets will require unprecedented transformation of the GB electricity system. Integration of intermittent generation, together with increases in peak demand due to transport and heat electrification, may lead to a significant degradation in asset utilisation. Thus system integration costs are expected to increase substantially. Flexible assets such as storage may offset peak demand and intermittency, through operation within the energy and balancing services markets. This project aims to optimise the control of a storage device in order to maximise its expected market value, under price and generation uncertainty. Emphasis is placed on algorithm speed and adaptability, over locating the true global optimum.
Learning Rates in Grid-Scale Energy Storage
Student: Mervin Ekpen Azeta
Supervisor(s): Professor Nigel Brandon (Sustainable Gas Institute), Professor Richard Green (Imperial College Business School)
Poster: #23 Download PDF
Energy storage, not only recognized as an integral solution to the energy challenges of this century, but also a smart key to accelerating and optimising the use of renewables, has seen positive developments in recent years. Despite the promising outlook, the deployment of its transformative technologies on a large scale is hampered by the huge costs of installation and current investment risks. For industry stakeholders to facilitate the desired affordable, widespread deployment, an understanding of the short- and long-term perspectives is required. This project aims to address this by extracting the learning rates for a suite of technologies, forecasting future costs and highlighting the relevant implications.
Distributed Generation and the Accrual of the Embedded Benefits Through a Local Facilitator
Student: Michael Kenefick
Supervisor(s): Dr Mark Workman (UK Energy Research Partnership), Andy Boston (UK Energy Research Partnership), Andy Hadland (Ameresco)
Poster: #24 Download PDF
Distributed generation is fast becoming a large part of our energy system, its capacity, on average, growing 14% per annum since 2011. However, Government policy and market regulation was designed for a centralised, nationally operated system. This projects looks at how distributed generation is integrated with this centralised system, and what are the benefits and drawbacks of its development. The question is whether the benefits are being fully achieved and what are the possible arrangements that can enable the fair allocation of the compensation to the responsible stakeholder. The research results will contribute to this fast developing sector with recommendations to bring energy policy and regulations in line with the 21st Century.
The Benefits and Impacts of Demand Response in Thermal Generation Unit Commitment and Dispatch
Student: Stefanos Platon Mavropoulos
Supervisor(s): Dr Aidan Rhodes (Centre for Environmental Policy)
Poster: #25 Download PDF
Electricity demand has daily, weekly and seasonal variations. The system operators have to match the supply with the demand on a real-time basis. Therefore, supply-side capital and operating costs are high. Demand response is the change of the electricity usage by the consumer in response to economic incentives or penalties. Demand response promises reliability, economic and environmental benefits but requires investment in smart grid technologies. In this project, the generation unit commitment and dispatch are modelled with and without demand response. The aim is to determine the potential benefits of demand response as an alternative for balancing the grid and as a tool to reduce the costs of providing electricity.