ABSTRACT
In the context of future smart grids, the distributed and small-scale energy resources will play a more remarkable role in comparison with their present situation. One of the main technical and commercial challenges for integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) into the grid is their invisibility from system operator's viewpoint. Virtual power plant (VPP) concept seems an appropriate solution to tackle such a problem. In fact, a VPP is composed of small DERs (traditional and renewables), controllable loads, and energy storage devices and can coordinate them in order to provide several local and system services through participation in different electricity markets with the aim of maximizing its profits. This chapter presents appropriate models for optimal energy management within a VPP that could be a technical VPP (TVPP), a commercial VPP (CVPP), or an energy community. The effectiveness of presented models has been validated through several numerical analyses.
