IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/plo/pone00/0338321.html

Economical management of virtual power plant source-network-load-storage in the context of electricity-carbon market

Author

Listed:
  • Panhong Zhang
  • Yilu Zheng

Abstract

Under the imperative of achieving dual-carbon goals, the number of distributed energy resources are gradually increasing, thereby amplifying the challenges to grid stability and power balance. Consequently, there is an urgent need to leverage the potential of source-network-load-storage for enhanced power regulation and control. This paper proposes a cloud-edge-end-based multi-time scale economical management of virtual power plant (VPP) source-network-load-storage in the context of electricity-carbon market. In the first layer, a cloud-edge scheduling approach is used to optimize the source-network-load-storage system of the VPP over a long time horizon, aiming to maximize economic benefits. In the second layer, a novel real-time pricing mechanism is employed to effectively manage and regulate the electric vehicle (EV) storage and charging stations. After obtaining the economic management parameters from the previous layer, the second layer employs a real-time scheduling approach based on end-side model predictive control (MPC), to address multi-energy supply-demand fluctuations. To achieve efficient solution, the original two-layer optimization problem is reformulated using mixed-integer linear programming (MILP). Comparative analyses have demonstrated the superior economic and practical performance of the proposed two-layer optimization approach. Simulation results indicate that the total operating cost of the system can be reduced by 2.35%, with a higher flexibility of electricity market operations.

Suggested Citation

  • Panhong Zhang & Yilu Zheng, 2026. "Economical management of virtual power plant source-network-load-storage in the context of electricity-carbon market," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 21(1), pages 1-23, January.
  • Handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0338321
    DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0338321
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0338321
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0338321&type=printable
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1371/journal.pone.0338321?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bao, Peng & Xu, Qingshan & Yang, Yongbiao & Nan, Yu & Wang, Yucui, 2024. "Efficient virtual power plant management strategy and Leontief-game pricing mechanism towards real-time economic dispatch support: A case study of large-scale 5G base stations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 358(C).
    2. Xiaozhi Gao & Jiaqi Zhang & Huiqin Sun & Yongchun Liang & Leiyuan Wei & Caihong Yan & Yicong Xie, 2024. "A Review of Voltage Control Studies on Low Voltage Distribution Networks Containing High Penetration Distributed Photovoltaics," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(13), pages 1-24, June.
    3. Naval, Natalia & Yusta, Jose M., 2021. "Virtual power plant models and electricity markets - A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 149(C).
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Zare, Alireza & Shafie-khah, Miadreza & Siano, Pierluigi & Lazaroiu, George Cristian, 2026. "A systematic review of Virtual Power Plant configurations and their interaction with electricity, carbon, and flexibility markets," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 226(PD).
    2. Reza Nadimi & Masahito Takahashi & Koji Tokimatsu & Mika Goto, 2024. "The Reliability and Profitability of Virtual Power Plant with Short-Term Power Market Trading and Non-Spinning Reserve Diesel Generator," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-19, April.
    3. Tian, Zhirui & Liu, Weican & Zhang, Jiahao & Sun, Wenpu & Wu, Chenye, 2025. "EDformer family: End-to-end multi-task load forecasting frameworks for day-ahead economic dispatch," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 383(C).
    4. Kaiss, Mateus & Wan, Yihao & Gebbran, Daniel & Vila, Clodomiro Unsihuay & Dragičević, Tomislav, 2025. "Review on Virtual Power Plants/Virtual Aggregators: Concepts, applications, prospects and operation strategies," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 211(C).
    5. Qi, Qi & Zhang, Deying & Hu, Xiang & Li, Xiao & Qi, Bing, 2025. "An optimal dispatch strategy for 5G base stations equipped with battery swapping cabinets," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 392(C).
    6. Zheng, Zixuan & Li, Jie & Liu, Xiaoming & Huang, Chunjun & Hu, Wenxi & Xiao, Xianyong & Zhang, Shu & Zhou, Yongjun & Yue, Song & Zong, Yi, 2025. "A De-aggregation strategy based optimal co-scheduling of heterogeneous flexible resources in virtual power plant," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 383(C).
    7. Evan S. Jones & Rosemary E. Alden & Huangjie Gong & Dan M. Ionel, 2023. "Co-Simulation of Electric Power Distribution Systems and Buildings including Ultra-Fast HVAC Models and Optimal DER Control," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(12), pages 1-20, June.
    8. Haji Bashi, Mazaher & De Tommasi, Luciano & Le Cam, Andreea & Relaño, Lorena Sánchez & Lyons, Padraig & Mundó, Joana & Pandelieva-Dimova, Ivanka & Schapp, Henrik & Loth-Babut, Karolina & Egger, Christ, 2023. "A review and mapping exercise of energy community regulatory challenges in European member states based on a survey of collective energy actors," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 172(C).
    9. Díaz-Sanahuja, C. & Navarro-Patrón, G. & Peñarrocha-Alós, I. & Vidal-Albalate, R., 2026. "Enhancing offshore wind farm control: A centralized approach with online optimal power dispatch," Mathematics and Computers in Simulation (MATCOM), Elsevier, vol. 239(C), pages 26-43.
    10. Jiang, Yuzheng & Dong, Jun & Huang, Hexiang, 2024. "Optimal bidding strategy for the price-maker virtual power plant in the day-ahead market based on multi-agent twin delayed deep deterministic policy gradient algorithm," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 306(C).
    11. Song, Meng & Bai, Wenchao & Lu, Shuai & Wen, Jianfeng & Sun, Wei & Hu, Qinran & Ban, Mingfei, 2025. "Sequential load restoration with decision-dependent 5G base station backup batteries for resilient distribution systems," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 396(C).
    12. Wang, Guotao & Lin, Zhenjia & Chen, Yuntian & Qiu, Rui & Zhang, Haoran & Yan, Jinyue, 2025. "Carbon-billed future for virtual power plants: A comprehensive review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 217(C).
    13. Forero-Quintero, Jose-Fernando & Villafáfila-Robles, Roberto & Barja-Martinez, Sara & Munné-Collado, Ingrid & Olivella-Rosell, Pol & Montesinos-Miracle, Daniel, 2022. "Profitability analysis on demand-side flexibility: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 169(C).
    14. Martin Bichler & Hans Ulrich Buhl & Johannes Knörr & Felipe Maldonado & Paul Schott & Stefan Waldherr & Martin Weibelzahl, 2022. "Electricity Markets in a Time of Change: A Call to Arms for Business Research," Schmalenbach Journal of Business Research, Springer, vol. 74(1), pages 77-102, March.
    15. Weigang Jin & Peihua Wang & Jiaxin Yuan, 2024. "Key Role and Optimization Dispatch Research of Technical Virtual Power Plants in the New Energy Era," Energies, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-24, November.
    16. Yan, Xingyu & Gao, Ciwei & Francois, Bruno, 2025. "Multi-objective optimization of a virtual power plant with mobile energy storage for a multi-stakeholders energy community," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 386(C).
    17. Mu, Yunfei & Jiang, Xinyang & Ma, Xiaoyan & Zhang, Jiarui & Jia, Hongjie & Jin, Xiaolong & Yao, Boren, 2025. "Hierarchical regulation strategy based on dynamic clustering for economic optimization of large-scale 5G base stations," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 377(PD).
    18. Mostafa Darvishi & Mehrdad Tahmasebi & Ehsan Shokouhmand & Jagadeesh Pasupuleti & Pitshou Bokoro & Jwan Satei Raafat, 2023. "Optimal Operation of Sustainable Virtual Power Plant Considering the Amount of Emission in the Presence of Renewable Energy Sources and Demand Response," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(14), pages 1-25, July.
    19. Godwin C. Okwuibe & Amin Shokri Gazafroudi & Sarah Hambridge & Christopher Dietrich & Ana Trbovich & Miadreza Shafie-khah & Peter Tzscheutschler & Thomas Hamacher, 2022. "Evaluation of Hierarchical, Multi-Agent, Community-Based, Local Energy Markets Based on Key Performance Indicators," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(10), pages 1-23, May.
    20. Yang, Yuqing & Bremner, Stephen & Menictas, Chris & Kay, Merlinde, 2022. "Modelling and optimal energy management for battery energy storage systems in renewable energy systems: A review," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:plo:pone00:0338321. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: plosone (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://journals.plos.org/plosone/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.