Integrating scheduling process for Italian ancillary services and balancing markets, considering uncertainties of RES-based DG

The proliferation and diffusion of Renewable Energy Systems (RESs), along with their associated uncertainties, have had an impact on the management of electrical grids and electricity markets. The focus of my doctoral thesis, carried out in collaboration with the Italian Transmission Operator (TSO) Terna, was on studying how the impact of RESs on the national transmission grid could be contained by reviewing the rules of the electricity market and the management of conventional thermal power plants. The main issue examined was whether it was possible to devise a new algorithm for ancillary markets to better manage the evolution of RESs. The presence of RESs necessitates the implementation of measures for integrating scheduling processes for ancillary services and balancing markets, taking into account the uncertainties of RESs. To achieve this goal, a comprehensive review of Optimum Power Flow (OPF) algorithms was conducted. Subsequently, a Projected Assessment of System Adequacy (PASA) simulation was carried out using the PLEXOS software to analyze how solar and wind generation could impact the choice of scheduling maintenance for conventional thermal power plants. This manuscript is divided into five sections and one appendix. The Introduction will provide an overview of the current state of the Italian electrical grid, outlining the different interconnections between Italy and neighboring countries and anticipating the main challenges that RESs could introduce into the operation of the electrical grid. In Section 2, titled “The power flow algorithms in electricity markets”, the problem under consideration will be introduced by providing a description of the Italian electricity market. Section 3, titled “The state of art about the Optimum Power Flow algorithms”, will analyze the current state of OPF algorithms, distinguishing between classic OPF problems and stochastic OPF methods. Section 4, titled “Projected Assessment of System Adequacy (PASA)”, will describe the PASA simulation, how the model was implemented, and the results will be presented in Section 5, titled “PASA simulation results”. Finally the “Other research activities” writes in appendix will illustrate the parallel activities that I have been conducted during this three year of work.