6533b827fe1ef96bd128676c
RESEARCH PRODUCT
Effects of COVID19 pandemic on the Italian power system and possible countermeasures
Juan Carlos Vasquez QuinteroGaetano ZizzoRossano MuscaPierluigi GalloJosep M. GuerreroElenora Riva Sanseverinosubject
Energy Engineering and Power TechnologyFFRArticle99-00Demand responseElectric power systemAggregationBlockchainElectrical and Electronic EngineeringAggregation Blockchain Covid-19. Demand response Electric load FFR Flexibility FRC PandemicResilience (network)Demand responsePandemicSettore ING-INF/03 - TelecomunicazioniPhotovoltaic systemFRC00-01Settore ING-IND/33 - Sistemi Elettrici Per L'EnergiaOpen dataDomino effectPower ratingRisk analysis (engineering)BusinessFlexibilityContingencyCovid-19Electric loaddescription
Abstract The paper analyses the dramatic effects of the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic on the Italian power system, considering the impacts on load and generation, market issues and ancillary services provision. During the period between March and May 2020, the Italian scenario was considered as exemplary due to the large reduction of loads and thermal generation caused by the hard lockdown across the Country. Italy has experienced the most severe effects of pandemic in terms of increase of death rates and of pressure on the health system as well as severity of the countermeasures. As a domino effect, the total lockdown of one of the most industrialized countries in the world has created an emergency situation that has put a big stress on the power system, reducing the possibility for the system to recover under contingencies. The weakness of the system in such an extreme situation is analyzed in depth using open data, while some countermeasures for providing resilience to the power systems in such cases are analyzed in simulation. Two technologies are here considered as exemplary countermeasures for providing resilience to the Italian power system: Fast Frequency Response by Photovoltaic and Wind plants with rated power above 10 MVA and the massive implementation of Demand Response programs through Energy communities and aggregation using Blockchain technology. The simulations show, on one hand, that the frequency recovery under contingency seems compromised in the current situation and that the support from such innovative technologies can provide a significant relief bringing the operational features close to those before the COVID-19 pandemic.
| year | journal | country | edition | language |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-12-01 |