Flexible Energy Scheduling in the Electrical, Thermal, and Gas Networks, including Energy Hubs with ‎Renewables and Flexible Units

Hamrahi, Mousa; Mallaki, Mehrdad; Moaddabi Pirkolachahi, Naghi; Cheraghi Shirazi, Najmeh

doi:10.61882/jgeri.2.4.58

Flexible Energy Scheduling in the Electrical, Thermal, and Gas Networks, including Energy Hubs with ‎Renewables and Flexible Units

Document Type : Research article

Authors

Mousa Hamrahi

Mehrdad Mallaki

Naghi Moaddabi Pirkolachahi

Najmeh Cheraghi Shirazi

Department of Electrical Engineering, Bu.C., Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran

https://doi.org/10.61882/jgeri.2.4.58

Abstract

This paper addresses the issue of flexibility pricing for grid-connected energy hubs (EHs) under the influence of uncertain energy generation resources. An optimization-based scheme is proposed to tackle this challenge. The objective of the problem is to maximize the profitability of these resources within the flexibility market. Key constraints include the flexibility model of energy storage systems, load response mechanisms, and controllable distributed generation units. Additional restrictions involve the optimal load distribution equations across energy networks, the utilization model of EHs incorporating various active resources and loads, as well as the flexibility constraints specific to EHs. The flexibility model hinges on the active power generated by these resources. The flexibility price is determined by the Lagrange coefficients corresponding to the flexibility constraint. To compute this price, a penalty function associated with the flexibility constraint is incorporated into the objective function. The proposed framework is implemented in the GAMS software environment and tested on 9-bus electric grid, a 4-bus gas system, and a 7-bus thermal network. Ultimately, the scheme’s effectiveness in enhancing operational performance, flexibility, and economic outcomes for both energy networks and EHs is thoroughly analyzed. So that based on optimal operation of resources, storage devices, and responsive loads, total energy losses, maximum voltage drop, and temperature improvements of approximately 14.9%, 41.2%, and 39.7%, respectively, when compared to load distribution studies.

Graphical Abstract

Flexible Energy Scheduling in the Electrical, Thermal, and Gas Networks, including Energy Hubs with ‎Renewables and Flexible Units

Highlights

❖ Development of a comprehensive flexibility model for energy hubs.
❖ Introduction of a methodology for flexibility pricing.
❖ Advancement in energy network flexibility management across diverse systems.

Keywords

Flexibility pricing

Grid-connected energy hub

Flexible energy management

Penalty function

Operation limit

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper. The ethical issues, including plagiarism, informed consent, misconduct, data fabrication and/or falsification, double publication and/or submission, redundancy, have been completely observed by the authors.

Credit Authorship Contribution Statement

Mousa Hamrahi: Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Visualization, Roles/Writing-original draft, Writing-review & editing. Mehrdad Mallaki: Investigation, Methodology, Project administration, Resources, Software, Supervision, Validation. Naghi Moaddabi Pirkolachahi: Conceptualization, Data curation, Formal analysis, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Methodology, Project ‎administration, Resources, Software. Najmeh Charaghi Shirazi: Validation, Visualization, Roles/Writing-original draft, Writing-review & editing.

Bibliography

Mousa Hamrahi was born in Bushehr, Iran in 1984. He received the B.Sc. (2011), M.Sc. (2017) and Ph.D. (2025) degrees from Islamic Azad University Science and Research branch, Bushehr, Iran, respectively, all in Electrical Engineering. His research interests include Smart Grids, Electricity Markets, Power System Dynamics and Renewable Energy Integration.

Mehrdad Mallaki was born in Bushehr, Iran in 1981. He received the B.Sc. (2004), M.Sc. (2006) and Ph.D. (2020) degrees from IUST, KNTU and AUT, respectively, all in Electrical Engineering. From 2007, he joined Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran, where he is now working as Assistant Professor in electrical engineering department. His research interests include Smart Grids, Electricity Markets, Power System Dynamics and Renewable Energy Integration.

Naghi Moaddabi Pirkolachahi was born in Rasht, Iran, in 1984. He received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Amirkabir University of Technology (Tehran Polytechnic), Tehran, Iran, in 2006 and 2008, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree in Electrical Engineering from the same university in 2014. He joined Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran, as an Assistant Professor in 2015. His research interests include power system protection, transient stability, smart grids, and renewable energies.

Najmeh Charaghi Shirazi was born in Shiraz, Iran in 1982. She received the B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from Islamic Azad University of Bushehr, Iran, in 2005 and 2009, respectively, and the Ph.D. degree from the Islamic Azad University Science and Research branch, Tehran, Iran, in 2018, all in Electrical Engineering. From 2019, she joined Islamic Azad University, Bushehr, Iran, as an Assistant Professor. Her research interests include RFIC, circuit design, energy harvesting, and converters.

Citation

M. Hamrahi, M. Mallaki, N. Moaddabi Pirkolachahi, and N. Cheraghi Shirazi, "Flexible Energy Scheduling in the Electrical, Thermal and Gas Networks including Energy Hubs with Renewables and Flexible Units," Journal of Green Energy Research and Innovation, vol. 2, no. 4, pp. 58-66, 2025.