Optimal operation of a virtual power plant

The increase in the amount of generators based on renewable energy sources (RES) in the power system is leading to many changes in its operation. Since the RES depends on weather conditions, coordinating the operation of the entire power system has become a more complex issue. New challenges need to be faced in order to supply the electric energy to the customers at the appropriate quality level. In this paper the concept and architecture of a complex virtual power plant (VPP) will be introduced and discussed. The focus will be paid to the optimization of the structure of the VPP as well as to its optimal operation. The result of the optimization have been presented and discussed in the paper taking into account different operation scenarios.