Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • Intra-day output deviations of the VPP are constrained to -37.8 to 64.0 MW, substantially lower than standalone wind power forecast errors, directly reducing imbalance penalty costs in electricity markets. • • Thermal storage capacity expansion beyond 500 MW·h produces diminishing returns on net profit, indicating an optimal sizing threshold for capital allocation in integrated VPP designs. • • Battery storage capacity increases exhibit minimal impact on net profit, suggesting that gas turbine flexibility and thermal storage provide superior marginal economic value for this configuration. • • The electricity-heat bidirectional decoupling architecture enables valley-period electricity and heat storage and peak-period energy release, optimizing gas turbine dispatch and improving overall system economics.
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Abstract
The intermittent and stochastic nature of wind power imposes operational challenges on grid security. This study investigates a wind-gas-storage virtual power plant (VPP) integrated with an electric boiler, thermal storage tank, and lithium bromide heat pump to establish an electricity-heat bidirectional decoupling architecture. A bi-level day-ahead and intra-day collaborative optimization dispatch model driven by time-of-use (TOU) electricity pricing is proposed. The upper level maximizes day-ahead net revenue by formulating dispatch schedules based on wind power and thermal load forecasts. The lower level minimizes intra-day real-time operational costs by dynamically adjusting unit outputs according to real-time data. Results demonstrate that the VPP output precisely tracks the day-ahead declared schedule, with intra-day output deviations ranging from -37.8 to 64.0 MW, significantly smaller than wind power forecast deviations, thereby reducing penalty costs. Energy storage systems shift energy through valley-period charging and peak-period discharging, optimizing gas turbine operation and enhancing economic benefits. Battery storage capacity growth has a marginal effect on net profit improvement, while thermal storage capacity beyond 500 MW·h yields diminishing net profit growth.
1. Introduction
Existing commercial virtual power plant approaches predominantly focus on single electricity load optimization, neglecting the synergistic constraints imposed by combined electricity-heat dual loads. This narrow scope fails to exploit the full operational flexibility of integrated energy systems, particularly when gas turbines must simultaneously satisfy thermal and electrical demands. The absence of systematic analysis regarding how time-of-use electricity pricing signals propagate through wind-gas-storage VPP dispatch decisions further limits the realization of source-grid-load-storage coordination potential.
This study addresses these bottlenecks by coupling an electric boiler, thermal storage tank, and lithium bromide absorption heat pump to construct an electricity-heat bidirectional decoupling architecture. The proposed bi-level day-ahead and intra-day collaborative optimization model, driven by time-of-use pricing, explicitly incorporates both electricity and thermal load constraints. By validating dispatch results and storage impacts, the model demonstrates practical applicability for enhancing VPP operational performance under real market conditions.
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LUAN Fuming, ZHANG Heng, CHEN Haiping (2026). Optimization and Dispatch Strategy for Wind-Gas-Storage Virtual Power Plants Based on Time-of-Use Electricity Pricing. Acta Energiae Solaris Sinica. https://doi.org/10.19912/j.0254-0096.tynxb.202608_9690
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Frequently Asked Questions
What are the quantified intra-day output deviation bounds of the VPP, and how do they compare to wind power forecast errors?
The VPP intra-day output deviations range from -37.8 to 64.0 MW, which is significantly smaller than the wind power forecast deviations. This reduction directly lowers penalty costs associated with schedule deviations in electricity markets.
At what thermal storage capacity does net profit growth begin to plateau, and what is the industrial implication?
Net profit growth slows after thermal storage capacity reaches 500 MW·h. This threshold indicates diminishing marginal returns, suggesting that capital investment beyond this capacity may not yield proportional economic benefits in similar VPP configurations.
How does battery storage capacity expansion affect net profit compared to thermal storage?
Battery storage capacity growth has a minimal impact on net profit improvement, whereas thermal storage capacity increases up to 500 MW·h still contribute positively. This disparity implies that thermal storage offers superior marginal economic value for this wind-gas-storage VPP architecture.
What is the role of the lithium bromide absorption heat pump in the electricity-heat decoupling architecture?
The lithium bromide absorption heat pump recovers exhaust heat from the gas turbine with a heating coefficient of 1.7, supplying thermal load and enabling thermal-electric decoupling. This allows the gas turbine to operate more flexibly in response to electricity price signals without being constrained by thermal demand.
How does the time-of-use pricing mechanism drive energy storage operations in the VPP?
The time-of-use pricing incentivizes battery storage to charge during valley periods and discharge during peak periods, shifting electrical energy across time. Similarly, thermal storage stores heat during low-price periods and releases it during high-price periods, optimizing gas turbine operation and enhancing overall economic benefits.
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