Improving Efficiency of Electric Energy System and Grid Operating Modes: Review of Optimization Techniques

Continuously growing tariff rates for energy carriers required to generate electrical and thermal energy bring about the need to search for alternatives. Such alternatives are intended for the reduction in the electricity and heat net costs as well as the expenses for the operation and maintenance of system elements and damage from power outages or deteriorated power quality. A way to reduce electricity and heat costs is the introduction of distributed energy resources capable of operating on both conventional (natural gas) and alternative (solar and wind energy, biomass, etc.) fuels. The problem of reducing electricity and, in some cases, heat costs are solved by applying mathematical optimization techniques adapted to a specific element or system of the industry in question. When it comes to power industry facilities, optimization, as a rule, includes reducing active power losses by controlling the system mode or specific power unit parameters; planning generating equipment operating modes; defining the optimal equipment composition; improving the regime and structural reliability of grids; scheduling preventive maintenance of equipment; searching for effective power unit operating modes. Many of the problems listed are solved using direct enumeration techniques; modern technical tools allow quickly solving such local problems with a large number of source data. However, in the case of integrated control over the power system or its individual elements, optimization techniques are used that allow considering a lot of operating limitations and the target function multicriteriality. This paper provides an analytical review of optimization techniques adapted to solving problems of improving the efficiency of the power facility operating modes. The article is made on the basis of the research conducted by the authors in the area of optimization of operating modes for electric energy systems and grids. The authors drew conclusions on the applicability of mathematical optimization methods in the power energy area. While conducting the research, the authors relied on their expertise in the development and introduction of the method to optimize the operation modes of energy supply systems with heterogeneous energy sources.