Comprehensive overview of multi-agent systems for controlling smart grids

Agents are intelligent entities that act flexibly and autonomously and make wise decisions based on their intelligence and experience. A multi-agent system (MAS) contains multiple, intelligent, and interconnected collaborating agents for solving a problem beyond the ability of a single agent. A smart grid (SG) combines advanced intelligent systems, control techniques, and sensing methods with an existing utility power network. For controlling smart grids, various control systems with different architectures have already been developed. MAS-based control of power system operations has been shown to overcome the limitations of time required for analysis, relaying, and protection; transmission switching; communication protocols; and management of plant control. These systems provide an alternative for fast and accurate power network control. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of MASs used for the control of smart grids. The paper provides a wide-spectrum view of the status of smart grids, MAS-based control techniques and their implementation for the control of smart grids. Use of MASs in the control of various aspects of smart grids—including the management of energy, marketing energy, pricing, scheduling energy, reliability, network security, fault handling capability, communication between agents, SG-electrical vehicles, SG-building energy systems, and soft grids—have been critically reviewed. More than a hundred publications on the topic of MAS-based control of smart grids have been critically examined, classified, and arranged for fast reference.