Real-time pricing for aggregates energy resources in the Italian energy market

Abstract Over the last decade, the architecture of the energy market has radically changed. In many countries end-users are now able to directly access the market, which has given rise to the question of how they can actively participate in that market. End-users can comprise a critical mass through aggregation that is carried out by a third party – to wit the “loads aggregator.” This paper proposes a new framework for generating feasible real-time price curves for those end-users in a demand-response management process. The underlying algorithm generates output curves as the solution to a constrained optimization problem whose objective function is the aggregator's economic benefit. A case…

New dispatching strategy for the integration of active-demand and distributed storage in the electricity market

The proliferation of Distributed Generation (DG) in power systems calls for a redesign of electricity network management, which should be able to accommodate large amounts of intermittent generation. This issue requires a discussion about the current dispatching regulation, giving distributed storage systems and qualified electricity consumption the opportunity to provide ancillary services to the distribution grid. In this work, a new dispatching strategy for the integration of active-demand and distributed storage in the Italian electricity market is presented. The strategy is focused on a distribution Smart Grid (SG), where customers can indirectly participate to the Day-Ahead (DA) and t…

Optimal Operating Point Calculation for Medium Voltage Distribution Systems

The paper deals with the calculation of the optimal working point of a distribution system, equipped with several distributed generators, able to operate also autonomously, i.e. disconnected from the main grid. When connected to the main grid, it appears in general convenient to assign the slack bus role to the bus that represents such a connection. The problem becomes more complex when maximum power transfer constraints through the connection must be taken into account. The adequate slack bus treatment is even more important when the optimal operating condition must refer to the condition subsequent to an intentional or unintentional disconnection from the main grid. The paper presents an …

An algorithm for simulating end-user behaviour in a real time pricing market

The energy market has changed radically over the last decade, mainly due to an increased penetration of renewable energies. Now the end users have directly access to the energy market and can actively take part to the electricity market. Electricity customers can indeed modify their behavior through Demand Response, namely by means of pricing strategies that support a change in the end-users habits. This can be accomplished through a 'loads aggregator', a third party that collects the requests and signals for Active Demand-based services coming from the markets and the different actors of energy market. This paper describes a simulation framework to generate the simulated optimal behavior o…

A bottom-up approach for the evaluation of the flexible quota of aggregated loads

The paper presents a bottom-up approach for building the aggregated load profile of numerous passive/active users connected to the low voltage electrical system. The approach is based on the Monte Carlo method and on the knowledge of the single electric and thermal loads, generators and thermal and geometrical characteristics of the building of the single end-user. The method proposed is able to differentiate the quota of flexible and not flexible aggregate load.

The risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in HBV cirrhosis is affected by polymorphisms of the MERTK gene

Optimal pricing strategies in real-time electricity pricing environments: An Italian case study

The energy market has changed radically over the last decade, mainly due to an increased penetration of renewable energies. Now the end users have directly access to the energy market and can actively take part to the electricity market. Electricity customers can indeed modify their behavior through Demand Response (DR), namely by means of pricing strategies that support a change in the end-users habits. This can be accomplished through a 'loads aggregator', a third party that collects the requests and signals for Active Demand-based services coming from the markets and the different power system participants. This paper describes a new framework able to optimally select the real-time prici…

Severe acute colitis associated with CMV: a prevalence study.

Abstract Background. Cytomegalovirus has been identified as a pathogen that contributes to flares of colitis when detected in colonic specimens of patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Aim. To determine the overall prevalence and the role of cytomegalovirus infection in a consecutive series of patients with acute severe colitis admitted to our department from 2000 to 2003. Methods. Among 42 patients (38 with ulcerative colitis and 4 with Crohn's disease) admitted to our hospital for acute severe colitis, we performed proctoscopy and biopsy together with blood sample for cytomegalovirus determination at the time of admission, regardless of their steroid resistance. Results. In the 42 pat…

A simple operation strategy of battery storage systems under dynamic electricity pricing: An Italian case study for a medium-scale public facility

In the electricity market, wholesale energy prices depend on the balance between energy production and load demand. In the last few years, electricity market has become more and more flexible as many utilities have started to replace the fixed retail prices schemes with prices changing during the day. Dynamic pricing, also known as Real-Time Pricing (RTP), reflects the trend of the wholesale market and allows to reduce the volatility of the wholesale prices, also contributing to a reduction of demand peaks. Electricity customers take advantage of dynamic pricing by shifting their consumption according to the real-time prices or by using Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to shift electri…

A New Method for the Price Determination of the Reactive Power Supply

This paper addresses the development of an accurate model for the pricing of reactive power supply as an ancillary service. Reactive power supply is one of the most important ancillary services in the field of transmission systems security. The present work is focused on building a reactive power market at which the Distributors can also take part in injecting reactive power at the connected HV/MV nodes. The authors have studied the particular case of the reactive power supplied by sub-transmission or distribution networks, connected to the nodes of the transmission system. The aim of this work is to establish a reactive power price by crossing demand and offer curves.

Economical evaluations of reactive power supply as an ancillary service offered by distributors

Reactive power supply is one of the most important ancillary services in the field of transmission systems safety. In the current market assets, at international level, this service is differently regulated and sometimes with criteria that are not market driven. The present work is focused on the perspective to realise a reactive power market to which also the distributors can take part injecting reactive power into HV/MV connection bus bar. Under this hypothesis, the paper proposes a methodology to evaluate the economic convenience limits that the system operator would have buying the capacitive reactive power offered by distributors.