Research Highlights

Our recent study published in Nature Communications sheds light on the importance of social acceptance and electricity markets in determining how energy is rationed within community microgrids during natural disasters or other emergency situations. The research investigates the preferences of community members regarding the distribution of limited energy resources in a microgrid setting, considering both essential services and market dynamics.
 

Our study surveyed 1,021 US residents to better understand how they believe energy should be allocated among various users and services in a community microgrid, with a focus on both differentiated services and market-based solutions. The results indicate that community members prioritize energy access for essential services such as hospitals and emergency services, while recognizing the role of energy markets in shaping resource allocation.
 

As energy markets become increasingly decentralized and localized, community microgrids have the potential to empower consumers to participate more actively in energy transactions, i.e., become prosumers. Our study highlights the importance of considering social factors, equity, and fairness in the design and implementation of market-based solutions for grid management, ensuring that community values and priorities are adequately reflected in the market structure.
 

Furthermore, the research emphasizes the need for effective communication and transparency in decision-making processes, as well as the involvement of community members in shaping microgrid policies and practices, including the integration of market mechanisms.
 

In the face of climate change and the growing frequency of natural disasters, the role of community microgrids in maintaining energy access during emergencies continues to grow. This work offers valuable insights into the social factors and market dynamics that must be considered to develop effective, equitable, and resilient microgrid systems that reflect the diverse needs and values of the communities they serve.

We introduce a novel frequency security criterion based on cumulative frequency deviation. This criterion reflects the relationship between the frequency deviation and the amount of frequency regulation resources, contributing to the optimization of power system operations under various contingencies. Notably, this criterion can evaluate the performance of frequency regulation resources with different response speeds, enhancing the planning and resource allocation of power systems. We have conducted a series of research to explore the properties of frequency security criterion and its application in electricity market as well as power system operation:

[J1] Yang, Y., Peng, J. C. H., & Ye, Z. S. (2023). Distributionally robust frequency dynamic constrained unit commitment considering uncertain demand-side resources. Applied Energy, 331, 120392.

[J2] Yang, Y., Peng, J. C. H., Ye, C., & Ye, Z. S. (2022). Optimal reserve allocation with simulation-driven frequency dynamic constraint: A distributionally robust approach. IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs, 69(11), 4483-4487.

[J3] Yang, Y., Peng, J. C. H., Ye, C., Ye, Z. S., & Ding, Y. (2021). A criterion and stochastic unit commitment towards frequency resilience of power systems. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 37(1), 640-652.

[J4] Yang, Y., Peng, J. C. H., & Ye, Z. S. (2021). A market clearing mechanism considering primary frequency response rate. IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 36(6), 5952-5955.