Flexibility-driven distributed coordination for low-carbon operation of active distribution networks with multi-park integrated energy systems

Park-level integrated energy systems (P-IESs) host substantial dispatchable demand-side resources, serving as a crucial source of operational flexibility for the active distribution network (ADN) to facilitate the deep integration of high-penetration renewable energy. However, this capability is constrained by dual barriers: the lack of frameworks and incentives to value flexibility, along with inherent physical network constraints that restrict coordination, which jointly erode system economy and renewable hosting capacity. To address these challenges, this paper develops a demand-side flexibility-driven distributed coordination framework aimed at enabling the low-carbon operation of an ADN with multiple P-IESs. First, a three-stage market-oriented mechanism is designed, integrating pre-dispatch, flexibility assessment, and dynamic pricing to quantify and valorize the underutilized flexibility within P-IESs. Second, a hybrid-switch coordinated reconfiguration strategy is developed to overcome the topological rigidities of the ADN by synergistically controlling energy storage-embedded soft open points with traditional tie switches for dynamic grid reconfiguration. Finally, an enhanced alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) is proposed, featuring a logarithmic adaptive penalty and half-step dual update to deliver superior computational efficiency and solution fidelity. Case studies demonstrate that the proposed framework yields simultaneous reductions in operational cost and carbon emissions while boosting renewable energy penetration, confirming its practical efficacy for low-carbon grid operation.