A novel incentive-based demand response model for Cournot competition in electricity markets

This paper presents an analysis of competition between generators when incentive-based demand response is employed in an electricity market. Thermal and hydropower generation are considered in the model. A smooth inverse demand function is designed using a sigmoid and two linear functions for modeling the consumer preferences under incentive-based demand response program. Generators compete to sell energy bilaterally to consumers and system operator provides transmission and arbitrage services. The profit of each agent is posed as an optimization problem, then the competition result is found by solving simultaneously Karush-Kuhn-Tucker conditions for all generators. A Nash-Cournot equilibrium is found when the system operates normally and at peak demand times when DR is required. Under this model, results show that DR diminishes the energy consumption at peak periods, shifts the power requirement to off-peak times and improves the net consumer surplus due to incentives received for participating in DR program. However, the generators decrease their profit due to the reduction of traded energy and market prices

Agent-based simulation of electricity markets: a literature review

Liberalisation, climate policy and promotion of renewable energy are challenges to players of the electricity sector in many countries. Policy makers have to consider issues like market power, bounded rationality of players and the appearance of fluctuating energy sources in order to provide adequate legislation. Furthermore the interactions between markets and environmental policy instruments become an issue of increasing importance. A promising approach for the scientific analysis of these developments is the field of agent-based simulation. The goal of this article is to provide an overview of the current work applying this methodology to the analysis of electricity markets. --

Competitive Benchmarking: An IS Research Approach to Address Wicked Problems with Big Data and Analytics

Wicked problems like sustainable energy and financial market stability are societal challenges that arise from complex socio-technical systems in which numerous social, economic, political, and technical factors interact. Understanding and mitigating them requires research methods that scale beyond the traditional areas of inquiry of Information Systems (IS) “individuals, organizations, and markets” and that deliver solutions in addition to insights. We describe an approach to address these challenges through Competitive Benchmarking (CB), a novel research method that helps interdisciplinary research communities to tackle complex challenges of societal scale by using different types of data from a variety of sources such as usage data from customers, production patterns from producers, public policy and regulatory constraints, etc. for a given instantiation. Further, the CB platform generates data that can be used to improve operational strategies and judge the effectiveness of regulatory regimes and policies. We describe our experience applying CB to the sustainable energy challenge in the Power Trading Agent Competition (Power TAC) in which more than a dozen research groups from around the world jointly devise, benchmark, and improve IS-based solutions

Comparing policy gradient and value function based reinforcement learning methods in simulated electrical power trade

In electrical power engineering, reinforcement learning algorithms can be used to model the strategies of electricity market participants. However, traditional value function based reinforcement learning algorithms suffer from convergence issues when used with value function approximators. Function approximation is required in this domain to capture the characteristics of the complex and continuous multivariate problem space. The contribution of this paper is the comparison of policy gradient reinforcement learning methods, using artificial neural networks for policy function approximation, with traditional value function based methods in simulations of electricity trade. The methods are compared using an AC optimal power flow based power exchange auction market model and a reference electric power system model

Incentives and coordination in vertically related energy markets

"Es wird ein Agenten-basiertes Modell eines Energiemarktes mit mehreren Ebenen der Wertschöpfungskette vorgestellt, das Gaslieferanten, Stromerzeuger und Händler berücksichtigt. Es kann gezeigt werden, wie ein vertikal integriertes Unternehmen, das auf oligopolistischen Energiemärkten agiert, die Honorierungsbeziehungen zwischen strategischen Geschäftsbereichen nutzen kann, um seine Gewinne zu steigern. Üblicherweise versuchen Firmen, die die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette integriert haben, ihren Vorteil dadurch zu nutzen, dass sie die Kosten der Wettbewerber durch Preisdiskriminierung erhöhen und den Markt gegen sie abschotten. Das ist in Energiemärkten nicht möglich. Im vorgestellten Modell wird ein Mechanismus gewählt, der den Charakteristika von Energiemärkten angepasst ist, um über Anreize denselben Endeffekt zu erzielen. Dieser beruht aber nicht auf der Marktabschottung, sondern auf einem finanziellen Valorisierungseffekt, bei dem Unternehmensbereiche am Beginn der Wertschöpfungskette die Preisspannen für die Unternehmensteile am oberen Ende vorgeben." (Autorenreferat)"We present an agent-based model of a multi-tier energy market including gas shippers, electricity generators and retailers. We show how reward interdependence between strategic business units within a vertically integrated firm can increase its profits in oligopolistic energy markets. The effects are shown to be distinct from those of the raising rivals' costs model. In our case, higher prices relate to the nature of energy markets, which facilitate the emergence of financial netback effects." (author's abstract

Incentives and coordination in vertically related energy markets

"Es wird ein Agenten-basiertes Modell eines Energiemarktes mit mehreren Ebenen der Wertschöpfungskette vorgestellt, das Gaslieferanten, Stromerzeuger und Händler berücksichtigt. Es kann gezeigt werden, wie ein vertikal integriertes Unternehmen, das auf oligopolistischen Energiemärkten agiert, die Honorierungsbeziehungen zwischen strategischen Geschäftsbereichen nutzen kann, um seine Gewinne zu steigern. Üblicherweise versuchen Firmen, die die gesamte Wertschöpfungskette integriert haben, ihren Vorteil dadurch zu nutzen, dass sie die Kosten der Wettbewerber durch Preisdiskriminierung erhöhen und den Markt gegen sie abschotten. Das ist in Energiemärkten nicht möglich. Im vorgestellten Modell wird ein Mechanismus gewählt, der den Charakteristika von Energiemärkten angepasst ist, um über Anreize denselben Endeffekt zu erzielen. Dieser beruht aber nicht auf der Marktabschottung, sondern auf einem finanziellen Valorisierungseffekt, bei dem Unternehmensbereiche am Beginn der Wertschöpfungskette die Preisspannen für die Unternehmensteile am oberen Ende vorgeben." (Autorenreferat)"We present an agent-based model of a multi-tier energy market including gas shippers, electricity generators and retailers. We show how reward interdependence between strategic business units within a vertically integrated firm can increase its profits in oligopolistic energy markets. The effects are shown to be distinct from those of the raising rivals' costs model. In our case, higher prices relate to the nature of energy markets, which facilitate the emergence of financial netback effects." (author's abstract

A non-technical introduction to the ANEMMarket model of the Australian National Electricity Market (NEM)

In this paper, we provide an accessible introduction to our agent-based ANEMMarket simulation model of the Australian National Electricity Market. This model has been purpose built to assess the impacts of emissions trading schemes, carbon taxes and the introduction of significant new suppliers of electricity generated from low or zero carbon emitting generators. We provide an illustrative example that involves the simulation of the impacts of a range of carbon prices on the dispatch of power from different types of generators in different regional locations. From these we compute the resultant carbon reduction effects. However, these remain only illustrative simulations because they do not include a range of operative constraints that exist in reality.

Investigating Preconditions for Sustainable Renewable Energy Product–Service Systems in Retail Electricity Markets

Energy transitions are complex and involve interrelated changes in the socio-technical dimensions of society. One major barrier to renewable energy transitions is lock-in from the incumbent socio-technical regime. This study evaluates Energy Product–Service Systems (EPSS) as a renewable energy market mechanism. EPSS offer electricity service performance instead of energy products and appliances for household consumers. Through consumers buying the service, the provider company is enabled to choose, manage and control electrical appliances for best-matched service delivery. Given the heterogenous market players and future uncertainties, this study aims to identify the necessary conditions to achieve a sustainable renewable energy market. Simulation-Based Design for EPSS framework is implemented to assess various hypothetical market conditions’ impact on market efficiency in the short term and long term. The results reveal the specific market characteristics that have a higher chance of causing unexpected results. Ultimately, this paper demonstrates the advantage of implementing Simulation-Based Design for EPSS to design retail electricity markets for renewable energy under competing market mechanisms with heterogenous economic agents

New actor types in electricity market simulation models: Deliverable D4.4

Project TradeRES - New Markets Design & Models for 100% Renewable Power Systems: https://traderes.eu/about/ABSTRACT: The modelling of agents in the simulation models and tools is of primary importance if the quality and the validity of the simulation outcomes are at stake. This is the first version of the report that deals with the representation of electricity market actors’ in the agent based models (ABMs) used in TradeRES project. With the AMIRIS, the EMLab-Generation (EMLab), the MASCEM and the RESTrade models being in the centre of the analysis, the subject matter of this report has been the identification of the actors’ characteristics that are already covered by the initial (with respect to the project) version of the models and the presentation of the foreseen modelling enhancements. For serving these goals, agent attributes and representation methods, as found in the literature of agent-driven models, are considered initially. The detailed review of such aspects offers the necessary background and supports the formation of a context that facilitates the mapping of actors’ characteristics to agent modelling approaches. Emphasis is given in several approaches and technics found in the literature for the development of a broader environment, on which part of the later analysis is deployed. Although the ABMs that are used in the project constitute an important part of the literature, they have not been included in the review since they are the subject of another section.N/