Optimal schedule model for a virtual power plant with an energy storage system

Due to the existence of wind turbines in virtual power plants (VPPs), to eliminate the fluctuation characteristics of the wind turbine in the VPP and quantify the impact of the capacity of the energy storage system (ESS) on VPPs' profitability, a multi-objective optimal schedule model, including the operating cost of the VPP, operation cost of the ESS and the electricity cost between the VPP and the grid, was proposed, and was solved by a quantum-inspired evolutionary algorithm; the output of conventional distribution generation and the state of charge were analysed on two different load days; the impact of different sub-object weights on the ESS capacity and the ESS cost and VPP profit under different rated capacities were also investigated. The results showed that the wind turbines' output error can be eliminated by the ESS on peak load day and valley load day; different weights of the VPP operating cost and the trading power cost would result in different capacities of the ESS; and the VPP's profit would rise with the increase of the ESS capacity when the capacity of the ESS was less than 8 MW.