K-Means and Alternative Clustering Methods in Modern Power Systems

As power systems evolve by integrating renewable energy sources, distributed generation, and electric vehicles, the complexity of managing these systems increases. With the increase in data accessibility and advancements in computational capabilities, clustering algorithms, including K-means, are becoming essential tools for researchers in analyzing, optimizing, and modernizing power systems. This paper presents a comprehensive review of over 440 articles published through 2022, emphasizing the application of K-means clustering, a widely recognized and frequently used algorithm, along with its alternative clustering methods within modern power systems. The main contributions of this study include a bibliometric analysis to understand the historical development and wide-ranging applications of K-means clustering in power systems. This research also thoroughly examines K-means, its various variants, potential limitations, and advantages. Furthermore, the study explores alternative clustering algorithms that can complete or substitute K-means. Some prominent examples include K-medoids, Time-series K-means, BIRCH, Bayesian clustering, HDBSCAN, CLIQUE, SPECTRAL, SOMs, TICC, and swarm-based methods, broadening the understanding and applications of clustering methodologies in modern power systems. The paper highlights the wide-ranging applications of these techniques, from load forecasting and fault detection to power quality analysis and system security assessment. Throughout the examination, it has been observed that the number of publications employing clustering algorithms within modern power systems is following an exponential upward trend. This emphasizes the necessity for professionals to understand various clustering methods, including their benefits and potential challenges, to incorporate the most suitable ones into their studies

Machine learning for identifying demand patterns of home energy management systems with dynamic electricity pricing

Energy management plays a crucial role in providing necessary system flexibility to deal with the ongoing integration of volatile and intermittent energy sources. Demand Response (DR) programs enhance demand flexibility by communicating energy market price volatility to the end-consumer. In such environments, home energy management systems assist the use of flexible end-appliances, based upon the individual consumer's personal preferences and beliefs. However, with the latter heterogeneously distributed, not all dynamic pricing schemes are equally adequate for the individual needs of households. We conduct one of the first large scale natural experiments, with multiple dynamic pricing schemes for end consumers, allowing us to analyze different demand behavior in relation with household attri