Power Sharing-Based Framework for Allocating Automatic Generation Control in Distributed Energy Resources

The recent proliferation of distributed energy resources (DERs) in the power network along with the retirement of conventional generators has made it challenging to regulate system frequency. This paper presents a centralized control framework to leverage the potential of DERs in the distribution network to provide secondary frequency control services to the grid. The proposed framework is based on network volt-watt sensitivity analysis and takes into account DER operational and network-imposed constraints to allocate the automatic generation control (AGC) request among the aggregated units. The proposed framework was implemented on the IEEE 8,500-node test feeder and the results were validated against a standard linear programming-based scheme. Numerical results indicate that the proposed framework can successfully utilize the available power production headroom of the network to meet the AGC request while maintaining nodal voltages within acceptable limits.