Realizing the potential of distributed energy resources and peer-to-peer trading through consensus-based coordination and cooperative game theory

Driven by environmental and energy security concerns, a large number of small-scale distributed energy resources (DERs) are increasingly being connected to the distribution network. This helps to support a cost-effective transition to a lower-carbon energy system, however, brings coordination challenges caused by variability and uncertainty of renewable energy resources (RES). In this setting, local flexible demand (FD) and energy storage (ES) technologies have attracted great interests due to their potential flexibility in mitigating the generation and demand variability and improving the cost efficiency of low-carbon electricity systems. The combined effect of deregulation and digitalization inspired new ways of exchanging electricity and providing management/services on the paradigm of peer-to-peer (P2P) and transparent transactions. P2P energy trading enables direct energy trading between prosumers, which incentivizes active participation of prosumer in the trading of electricity in the distribution network, in the meantime, the efficient usage of FD and ES owned by the prosumers also facilitates better local power and energy balance. Though the promising P2P energy trading brings numerous advancements, the existing P2P mechanisms either fail to coordinate energy in a fully distributed way or are unable to adequately incentivize prosumers to participate, preventing prosumers from accessing the highest achievable monetary benefits and/or suffering severely from the curse of dimensionality. Therefore, this thesis aims at proposing three P2P energy trading enabling mechanisms in the aspect of fully distributed efficient balanced energy coordination through consensus-based algorithm and two incentivizing pricing and benefit distribution mechanisms through cooperative game theory. Distributed, consensus-based algorithms have emerged as a promising approach for the coordination of DER due to their communication, computation, privacy and reliability advantages over centralized approaches. However, state-of-the-art consensus-based algorithms address the DER coordination problem in independent time periods and therefore are inherently unable to capture the time-coupling operating characteristics of FD and ES resources. This thesis demonstrates that state-of-the-art algorithms fail to converge when these time-coupling characteristics are considered. In order to address this fundamental limitation, a novel consensus-based algorithm is proposed which includes additional consensus variables. These variables express relative maximum power limits imposed on the FD and ES resources which effectively mitigate the concentration of the FD and ES responses at the same time periods and steer the consensual outcome to a feasible and optimal solution. The convergence and optimality of the proposed algorithm are theoretically proven while case studies numerically demonstrate its convergence, optimality, robustness to initialization and information loss, and plug-and-play adaptability. Moreover, this thesis proposes two computationally efficient pricing and benefit distribution mechanisms to construct a stable grand coalition of prosumers participating in P2P trading, founded on cooperative game-theoretic principles. The first one involves a benefit distribution scheme inspired by the core tatonnement process while the second involves a novel pricing mechanism based on the solution of single linear programming. The performance of the proposed mechanisms is validated against state-of-the-art mechanisms through numerous case studies using real-world data. The results demonstrate that the proposed mechanisms exhibit superior computational performance than the nucleolus and are superior to the rest of the examined mechanisms in incentivizing prosumers to remain in the grand coalition.Open Acces

Integrated game-theory modelling for multi enterprise-wide coordination and collaboration under uncertain competitive environment

In this work, an integrated Game Theory (GT) approach is developed for the coordination of multi-enterprise Supply Chains (SCs) in a competitive uncertain environment. The conflicting goals of the different participants are solved through coordination contracts using a non-cooperative non-zero-sum Stackelberg game under the leadership of the manufacturer. The Stackelberg payoff matrix is built under the nominal conditions, and then evaluated under different probable uncertain scenarios using a Monte-Carlo simulation. The competition between the Stackelberg game players and the third parties is solved through a Nash Equilibrium game. A novel way to analyze the game outcome is proposed based on a win–win Stackelberg set of “Pareto-frontiers”. The benefits of the resulting MINLP tactical models are illustrated by a case study with different vendors around a client SC. The results show that the coordinated decisions lead to higher expected payoffs compared to the standalone case, while also leading to uncertainty reduction.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Spatial Coordination Strategies in Future Ultra-Dense Wireless Networks

Ultra network densification is considered a major trend in the evolution of cellular networks, due to its ability to bring the network closer to the user side and reuse resources to the maximum extent. In this paper we explore spatial resources coordination as a key empowering technology for next generation (5G) ultra-dense networks. We propose an optimization framework for flexibly associating system users with a densely deployed network of access nodes, opting for the exploitation of densification and the control of overhead signaling. Combined with spatial precoding processing strategies, we design network resources management strategies reflecting various features, namely local vs global channel state information knowledge exploitation, centralized vs distributed implementation, and non-cooperative vs joint multi-node data processing. We apply these strategies to future UDN setups, and explore the impact of critical network parameters, that is, the densification levels of users and access nodes as well as the power budget constraints, to users performance. We demonstrate that spatial resources coordination is a key factor for capitalizing on the gains of ultra dense network deployments.Comment: An extended version of a paper submitted to ISWCS'14, Special Session on Empowering Technologies of 5G Wireless Communication

Separation Framework: An Enabler for Cooperative and D2D Communication for Future 5G Networks

Soaring capacity and coverage demands dictate that future cellular networks need to soon migrate towards ultra-dense networks. However, network densification comes with a host of challenges that include compromised energy efficiency, complex interference management, cumbersome mobility management, burdensome signaling overheads and higher backhaul costs. Interestingly, most of the problems, that beleaguer network densification, stem from legacy networks' one common feature i.e., tight coupling between the control and data planes regardless of their degree of heterogeneity and cell density. Consequently, in wake of 5G, control and data planes separation architecture (SARC) has recently been conceived as a promising paradigm that has potential to address most of aforementioned challenges. In this article, we review various proposals that have been presented in literature so far to enable SARC. More specifically, we analyze how and to what degree various SARC proposals address the four main challenges in network densification namely: energy efficiency, system level capacity maximization, interference management and mobility management. We then focus on two salient features of future cellular networks that have not yet been adapted in legacy networks at wide scale and thus remain a hallmark of 5G, i.e., coordinated multipoint (CoMP), and device-to-device (D2D) communications. After providing necessary background on CoMP and D2D, we analyze how SARC can particularly act as a major enabler for CoMP and D2D in context of 5G. This article thus serves as both a tutorial as well as an up to date survey on SARC, CoMP and D2D. Most importantly, the article provides an extensive outlook of challenges and opportunities that lie at the crossroads of these three mutually entangled emerging technologies.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figures, IEEE Communications Surveys & Tutorials 201