About SPET
The aim of SPET is to undertake the required applied research and technological development activities to contribute to an increase in the energy efficiency and sustainability considering the widespread distribution of renewable generation and demand flexibility in local electricity markets (LeM).
Having as basis sensing and monitoring infrastructures of consumers (Cs) and prosumers (Ps), mechanisms for an accurate definition of market participants needs will be the basis for a trusted participation in LeM. The vision of this project is to implement: -multi-agent (MA) framework as a layer that brings the most complete view of the cyber-physical infrastructure of Cs and Ps, based on which services for trusted market participation will be developed -Market Interaction Manager as a trusted participant in LeM -MA platform for LeM endowing full market participation through mechanisms that offer secure interactions and provide a means for the connection between local and wholesale markets.
Research Unit
GECAD - Research Group on Intelligent Engineering and Computing for Advanced Innovation and Development
GECAD (Research Group on Intelligent Engineering and Computing for Advanced Innovation and Development) is the largest R&D unit of the Polytechnic of Porto, settled in ISEP, it is coordinated by Professor Zita Vale and includes over 70 researchers, more than 20 PhD. GECAD has significant knowledge and skills in the application of artificial intelligence techniques in power and energy systems. The most relevant work of GECAD relate to multi-agent modelling and simulation of energy systems, he conception and development of demand response models and their application in both simulated and real scenarios; the simulation and management of distributed energy resources in smart grids, including large penetration of electric vehicles and renewable generation. GECAD also has relevant work in electricity markets models and simulation and in data analytics and mining techniques. The recognition of GECAD is visible through several indicators, such as the more than 60 national and international R & D projects in which it has participated and through dozens of annual publications of articles and special issues in the most accredited international scientific journals of GECAD?s areas of activity. Aware of its responsibilities to society, GECAD aims to collaborate in the development of “Intelligent Systems to support a Sustainable, Safe and Inclusive Society”. For this reason, GECAD has focused on applied projects in areas such as Energy, Transport, Environment, Economics, Support for the Disabled, Critical Infrastructures, Security, Information Accessibility and new ways of Socialization. The following international projects are highlighted: ITEA projects FUSE IT (Future Unified System for Energy and Information Technology) and SEAS (Smart Energy Aware Systems); FP7 project EleCon (Electricity Consumption Analysis to Promote Energy Efficiency Considering Demand Response and Non-technical Losses), coordinated by Zita Vale; and the H2020 project Dream-Go (Enabling Demand Response for short and real-time Efficient And Market Based smart Grid Operation – An intelligent and real-time simulation approach), also coordinated by Zita Vale.
Project Vision
The vision of SPET is to implement a framework for the study and definition of local multi-period electricity markets endowing full market participation to small players through mechanisms that offer secure interactions and allow establishing the connection of local communities with wholesale markets. The research will focus on methodologies to achieve resources trusted profiling as a basis for demand flexibility and generation forecasting. The vision of this project is to develop:
- A multi-agent (MA) framework as a layer that brings the most complete view of the cyber-physical infrastructure of Consumers and Prosumers, based on which services for trusted market participation will be developed.
- A Market Interaction Manager as a trusted participant in Local Markets.
- A MA platform for Local Markets endowing full market participation through mechanisms that offer secure interactions and provide a means for the connection between local and wholesale markets.
SUMMARY
The vision of SPET is to implement a framework for the study and definition of local multi-period electricity markets endowing full market participation to small players through mechanisms that offer secure interactions and allow establishing the connection of local communities with wholesale markets. The research will focus on methodologies to achieve resources trusted profiling as a basis for demand flexibility and generation forecasting. Technology and data from Smart Grids and the Internet of Things, namely sensors, meters and solutions for smart homes and buildings, provide the basis for the definition and implementation of a trusted cyber-physical profile of consumers (Cs) and prosumers (Ps). At this level, the vision is to implement a multi-agent system (MAS) to manage all the data sources available (sensors, service providers, apps), providing the inputs for a complete characterization of the cyber-physical infrastructure of Cs and Ps. A Market Interactions Manager (MIM) will rely on the MAS inputs and use methodologies to represent market players participation in a trusted way. Aggregations of MIMs will be studied as a way to manage local communities trading in wholesale markets. The local energy marketplace (LeM) will be developed as an extension of MASCEM, endowing the participation of MIM and aggregations of MIMs. MASCEM will be re-formulated to include mechanisms to assure secure interactions between participating agents, which can be running on different machines or event be part of other MAS. The project manager (PM) and the project team background assure the project successful execution, and GECAD/ ISEP simulation platform and labs provide an environment where project results will be implemented and a set of case studies will be evaluated. MASCEM, a tool started within the PM PhD, will be the basis for the development of the LeM platform, with secure negotiations and providing the link between local and wholesale markets. AiD-EM a decision support tool for market bids definition, developed in the scope of PT, will be used by MIMs to support their market negotiations. GECAD labs building provide the cyber-physical infrastructure for the development of a prototype of the multi-agent framework, which will enable the accurate characterization of Cs and Ps needs.
MAIN GOALS
- Definition of business models for local energy trading;
- Definition of a multi-agent framework to provide (using IoT) a complete characterization of Cs and Ps cyber-physical infrastructures;
- Methodologies for trusted profiling, based on the characterization of market participants, combined with a metalearner approach applied to a set of forecasting algorithms;
- The development of MIM agent and its integration in LeM;
- LeM implementation as an extension of MASCEM, allowing secure market interactions;
- Methodologies to manage aggregations of market participants, namely of MIMs, looking forward the participation of local communities in wholesale markets.
WORK PACKAGES
- WP1 – Organization and management
- WP2 – Business Models, Specifications and requirements
- WP3 – Multi-agent Framework for trusted trading
- WP4 – Services Provision
- WP5 – Local Multi-period electricity markets platform
- WP6 – Proof-of-Concept and Simulation Studies
- WP7 – Communication and Dissemination