Consumers Performance Evaluation of the Participation in Demand Response Programs Using Baseline Methods

Demand response has gain increasing importance in the context of competitive electricity markets environment. The use of demand resources is also advantageous in the context of smart grid operation. In addition to the need of new business models for integrating demand response, adequate methods are necessary for an accurate determination of the consumers’ performance evaluation after the participation in a demand response event. The present paper makes a comparison between some of the existing baseline methods related to the consumers’ performance evaluation, comparing the results obtained with these methods and also with a method proposed by the authors of the paper. A case study demonstrates the application of the referred methods to real consumption data belonging to a consumer connected to a distribution network.

Stochastic Framework for Strategic Decision-making of Load-serving Entities for Day-ahead Market

The deregulation of electricity markets has diversified the range of financial transaction modes between independent system operator (ISO), generation companies (GENCO) and load-serving entities (LSE) as the main interacting players of a day-ahead market (DAM). LSEs sell electricity to end-users and retail customers. The LSE that owns distributed generation (DG) or energy storage units can supply part of its serving loads when the nodal price of electricity rises. This opportunity stimulates them to have storage or generation facilities at the buses with higher locational marginal prices (LMP). The short-term advantage of this model is reducing the risk of financial losses for LSEs in DAMs and its long-term benefit for the LSEs and the whole system is market power mitigation by virtually increasing the price elasticity of demand. This model also enables the LSEs to manage the financial risks with a stochastic programming framework.

Smart Grid Market Using Joint Energy and Ancillary Services Bids

The power systems operation in the smart grid context increases significantly the complexity of their management. New approaches for ancillary services procurement are essential to ensure the operation of electric power systems with appropriate levels of stability, safety, quality, equity and competitiveness. These approaches should include market mechanisms which allow the participation of small and medium distributed energy resources players in a competitive market environment. In this paper, an energy and ancillary services joint market model used by an aggregator is proposed, considering bids of several types of distributed energy resources. In order to improve economic efficiency in the market, ancillary services cascading market mechanism is also considered in the model. The proposed model is included in MASCEM – a multi-agent system electricity market simulator. A case study considering a distribution network with high penetration of distributed energy resources is presented.

Contextual Intelligent Load Management Considering Real-Time Pricing in a Smart Grid Environment

The use of demand response programs enables the adequate use of resources of small and medium players, bringing high benefits to the smart grid, and increasing its efficiency. One of the difficulties to proceed with this paradigm is the lack of intelligence in the management of small and medium size players. In order to make demand response programs a feasible solution, it is essential that small and medium players have an efficient energy management and a fair optimization mechanism to decrease the consumption without heavy loss of comfort, making it acceptable for the users. This paper addresses the application of real-time pricing in a house that uses an intelligent optimization module involving artificial neural networks.

Integration in MASCEM of the Joint Dispatch of Energy and Reserves Provided by Generation and Demand Resources

The provision of reserves in power systems is of great importance in what concerns keeping an adequate and acceptable level of security and reliability. This need for reserves and the way they are defined and dispatched gain increasing importance in the present and future context of smart grids and electricity markets due to their inherent competitive environment. This paper concerns a methodology proposed by the authors, which aims to jointly and optimally dispatch both generation and demand response resources to provide the amounts of reserve required for the system operation. Virtual Power Players are especially important for the aggregation of small size demand response and generation resources. The proposed methodology has been implemented in MASCEM, a multi agent system also developed at the authors’ research center for the simulation of electricity markets.

Fisioterapia : influência na qualidade de vida da mulher com cancro da mama : contributo para a qualidade do serviço em oncologia

RESUMO - O cancro da mama é uma preocupação da saúde pública a nível mundial, pela sua incidência, mortalidade e custos económicos associados. As terapias utilizadas no seu tratamento, embora eficazes, conduzem a alterações de todas as dimensões da Qualidade de Vida (QdV) da mulher com cancro da mama. A garantia de uma qualidade de serviço prestado deve ser uma prioridade das organizações de saúde, sendo a QdV uma medida de resultado. Partindo do pressuposto que em Portugal existe uma diferença potencial na forma como as mulheres com cancro da mama recebem o apoio por parte da fisioterapia, importa saber se a fisioterapia tem ou não influência na QdV da mulher com cancro da mama, o que, no caso de ser afirmativo, poderá constituir uma mais-valia para a qualidade do serviço prestado em oncologia. O Objectivo deste trabalho é construir um modelo de análise no sentido de responder à questão inicial de investigação: “Será que a fisioterapia contribui para a melhoria da Qualidade de Vida das mulheres com cancro da mama submetidas a cirurgia e outras terapias oncológicas?”. Neste sentido o trabalho de projecto dividiu-se por etapas. Inicialmente foi realizado um enquadramento teórico, através de uma revisão de literatura e da realização de entrevistas exploratórias, permitindo desta forma ter um conhecimento actual das temáticas que definem as variáveis e o objecto de estudo. Na etapa seguinte, foi feita uma análise crítica sobre o conhecimento actual do tema em estudo, que permitiu definir as variáveis a estudar, escolher o instrumento de medida a utilizar, ter conhecimento dos procedimentos a seguir. Após a definição do objectivo geral (avaliar se a fisioterapia tem influência na QdV das mulheres submetidas a cirurgia e outras terapias oncológicas) e dos objectivos específicos, iniciou-se o delineamento da metodologia tida como adequada para responder às questões de investigação levantadas (tipo de estudo, as variáveis, a unidade de análise, os métodos e técnicas de recolha de dados, os procedimentos e a metodologia de tratamento de dados). No âmbito do trabalho de projecto está definida a colocação em campo de um caso de estudo efectivo que permita dar um contributo real no delineamento da metodologia. Neste trabalho optou-se pela realização de um estudo piloto, que se enquadra nos procedimentos da metodologia e que teve por objectivo retirar algumas conclusões sobre: a aplicabilidade do instrumento de medida; os tempos definidos para a recolha de dados; as características sociodemográficas e clínicas da amostra; as questões de investigação levantadas. O estudo piloto consistiu num estudo pré-experimental, com uma amostra de 35 indivíduos, submetidos a cirurgia a cancro da mama e a outras terapias oncológicas. Foram avaliadas as dimensões do bem-estar físico e actividades quotidianas, bem-estar psicológico, relações sociais, sintomas e características sociodemográficas/clínicas, no início do tratamento individual de fisioterapia e no momento de alta. Utilizou-se como instrumento de medida o questionário EORTC QLQ–30 e o seu questionário complementar EORTC QLQ–23. Tendo sido construída uma ficha para recolha de dados sociodemográficos e clínicos. A significância estatística foi aceite para valores de p<0,05. Para comparação entre grupos e evolução dentro de cada grupo aplicou-se o teste t-student e o teste de Mann-Whitney. A análise dos resultados do estudo piloto permitiu verificar que: - O instrumento de medida proposto (questionário EORTC QLQ30 e BR23) mostrou ser de fácil aplicação, não tendo existido dificuldade por parte das doentes no seu preenchimento. Não houve problemas no cálculo dos scores e na sua interpretação; - Parte considerável das mulheres com cancro da mama será submetida a protocolos que se poderão prolongar por vários meses após a cirurgia (ex: QT+RT+HT). Esta realidade leva-nos a propor que sejam realizados vários momentos de avaliação, para que possam ser avaliadas as dimensões da QdV ao longo dos diferentes protocolos de tratamentos. Pensamos que o ideal seria a realização de 4 momentos de avaliação (3 a 4 semanas após a cirurgia, 3 meses, 6 meses e 9 meses após cirurgia). Sugerimos também que o estudo proposto seja realizado com uma amostra de maior dimensão; - O estudo piloto como recorreu a uma metodologia pré-experimental (ausência de grupo de controlo e apenas dois momentos de avaliação), não permite a consistência dos resultados; no entanto os resultados obtidos podem constituir um indicador de que a fisioterapia tem influência nas diferentes dimensões da QdV da mulher com cancro da mama submetida a cirurgia e a outras terapias oncológicas, podendo constituir uma mais-valia para a qualidade do serviço prestado em oncologia. Os resultados do estudo piloto permitiram redefinir a metodologia tida como adequada para responder à questão de investigação inicial. Apresentamos de seguida a mesma: Estudo quase-experimental, sendo a amostra constituída por dois grupos de 60 mulheres cada, submetidas a cirurgia a cancro da mama e a outras terapias oncológicas. O grupo experimental será submetido a tratamentos individuais de fisioterapia. Serão avaliadas as dimensões do bem-estar físico e actividades quotidianas, bem-estar psicológico, relações sociais e sintomas. A recolha de dados será realizada 3 semanas, 3 meses, 6 meses e 9 meses após a cirurgia. Como instrumento de medida será utilizado o questionário EORTC QLQ–30 e o seu questionário complementar EORTC QLQ–23, serão também recolhidos dados sociodemográficos e clínicos. A significância estatística será aceite para valores de p<0,05. Para comparação entre grupos e evolução dentro de cada grupo serão utilizados testes paramétricos e não paramétricos. A realização de um estudo que seguisse a metodologia acima referida permitiria uma maior consistência dos resultados, podendo eventualmente existir a confirmação de que a fisioterapia pode ter influência na QdV da mulher submetida a cirurgia a cancro da mama e a outras terapias oncológicas. A evidência de que a fisioterapia tem influência na QdV da mulher com cancro da mama, e o facto de a QdV ser um indicador da qualidade do serviço prestado em oncologia, poderão constituir um agente facilitador para a mudança na gestão de recursos humanos em organizações de saúde com a valência de oncologia, levando a uma alteração dos padrões de prática na área da fisioterapia em oncologia em Portugal, que poderá conduzir a uma melhor qualidade de serviço prestado ao doente oncológico. ----- ABSTRACT - Breast Cancer is a worldwide public health concern due to the incidence, mortality and economic costs associated. Although effective, therapies used in its treatment lead to changes in all Quality of Life (QoL) dimensions of a woman suffering from Breast Cancer. QoL is an outcome measure, and the insurance of quality of care provided should be a priority to health organizations. Taking into consideration that in Portugal there is a potential difference in the way women with Breast Cancer are provided with physical therapy, it is important to know whether physical therapy does or does not influence the QoL of women with breast cancer. If it does, it will lead to a health care quality improvement to cancer patients. The goal of the following study is to build an analysis model in order to answer the initial investigation question: “Does Physical Therapy contribute to enhance the Quality of Life of women with breast cancer who underwent surgery and other oncology treatments?” The project was divided in different stages. Initially, a literature revision was elaborated and exploratory interviews were held, which allowed an actual knowledge of the themes that define the variables and the object of study. The next stage included a critical analysis of the theme, which allowed the definition of variables of study, the choice of instrument of measure and the acquisition of some knowledge on how to proceed. After the definition of the general goal (to evaluate the influence of physical therapy on the QoL of women with breast cancer who underwent surgery and other oncology treatments) and specific goals, the choice of a right methodology took place, in order to answer the investigation questions (type of study, variables, unit analysis, methods and techniques on data collection, procedures and data treatment). In the scope of the project, it is decided to put out on the field an effective case-study which assures a real contribution on the choice of te methodology. In this particular work, there was a pilot study, included in the methodology procedures, with the goal of obtaining conclusions on the applicability of the instrument of measure; the length of time to collect data, the socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the sample; the investigation questions. The pilot study consisted on a one group pretest-postest design, with a sample of 35 individuals who underwent surgery and other oncology treatments. Dimensions such as physical well-being and everyday life activities, psychological well-being, social relationships, symptoms and socio-demographical/clinical characteristics were assessed at the beginning of physical therapy individual treatment and at the moment of release. The instrument of measure used was the EORTC QLQ–30 questionnaire and its complementary questionnaire EORTC QLQ–23. A chart was made in order to collect socio-demographic and clinical data. Statistic significance was accepted for values of p<0,05. To compare between groups and to detect the evolution within each group, the t-student test and the Mann-Whitney test were applied. The outcome analysis of the pilot study allowed to verify that: - The instrument of measure proposed (EORTC QLQ30 and BR23) was easy to apply, and the subjects did not show any difficulty in filling it up. There was also no problem on calculating the scores or interpreting them; - A considerable part of the women with breast cancer will be submitted to protocols that may occur throughout several months after surgery (e.g., QT+RT+HT). This reality leads us to suggest several moments of assessment of the QoL dimensions in various moments of the different protocol treatments. We consider that the ideal number of evaluations would be 4 (3/4 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months after surgery). We also suggest the use of a larger sample; - Since the pilot study resorted to a one group pretest-postest design (there is an absence of control group and only two moments of assessment), there is no consistency of outcome. However, the results obtained indicate that physical therapy influences the dimensions of QoL on women with breast cancer who underwent surgery and other oncology treatments, which may be an asset to the quality of care provided to cancer patients. The outcome of the pilot study allowed to redefine the methodology given as adequate to answer the initial investigation question. Our suggestion is as follows: quasi-experimental design, with a sample of 120 subjects (2 groups of 60 women) with breast cancer who underwent surgery and other oncology treatments. The experimental group will be submitted to individual treatments of physical therapy. Dimensions such as physical well-being and everyday life activities, psychological well-being, social relationships and symptoms will be assessed. The collection of data will occur at 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 9 months after surgery. The instrument of measure is the EORTC QLQ–30 questionnaire and its complementary questionnaire EORTC QLQ–23, and social-demographic and clinical information will also be collected. The statistic significance will be accepted for values of p<0,05. Parametric and non-parametric tests will be used to compare between groups and to detect the evolution within each group. Carrying out a study that followed the methodology discussed above would allow a better consistency of results, possibly enabling the confirmation that physical therapy influences the QoL of women with breast cancer who underwent surgery and other oncology treatments. The evidence that physical therapy influences the QoL of women with breast cancer, and the fact that QoL is an indicator of quality of care provided to cancer patients, may work as a facilitating agent in the change of human resources management in health organizations associated to oncology, which will lead to a change in oncology physical therapy practice patterns in Portugal, guiding to a health care quality improvement to cancer patients.

Reactive power management strategies in future smart grids

The reactive power management in distribution network with large penetration of distributed energy resources is an important task in future power systems. The control of reactive power allows the inclusion of more distributed recourses and a more efficient operation of distributed network. Currently, the reactive power is only controlled in large power plants and in high and very high voltage substations. In this paper, several reactive power control strategies considering a smart grids paradigm are proposed. In this context, the management of distributed energy resources and of the distribution network by an aggregator, namely Virtual Power Player (VPP), is proposed and implemented in a MAS simulation tool. The proposed methods have been computationally implemented and tested using a 32-bus distribution network with intensive use of distributed resources, mainly the distributed generation based on renewable resources. Results concerning the evaluation of the reactive power management algorithms are also presented and compared.

Stochastic Short-term Incentive-based Demand Response Scheduling of Load-serving Entities

In competitive electricity markets it is necessary for a profit-seeking load-serving entity (LSE) to optimally adjust the financial incentives offering the end users that buy electricity at regulated rates to reduce the consumption during high market prices. The LSE in this model manages the demand response (DR) by offering financial incentives to retail customers, in order to maximize its expected profit and reduce the risk of market power experience. The stochastic formulation is implemented into a test system where a number of loads are supplied through LSEs.

Determining the Adjustment Baseline Parameters to Define an Accurate Customer Baseline Load

Demand response is an energy resource that has gained increasing importance in the context of competitive electricity markets and of smart grids. New business models and methods designed to integrate demand response in electricity markets and of smart grids have been published, reporting the need of additional work in this field. In order to adequately remunerate the participation of the consumers in demand response programs, improved consumers’ performance evaluation methods are needed. The methodology proposed in the present paper determines the characterization of the baseline approach that better fits the consumer historic consumption, in order to determine the expected consumption in absent of participation in a demand response event and then determine the actual consumption reduction. The defined baseline can then be used to better determine the remuneration of the consumer. The paper includes a case study with real data to illustrate the application of the proposed methodology.

Demand Response Design and Use Based on Network Locational Marginal Prices

Power systems have been experiencing huge changes mainly due to the substantial increase of distributed generation (DG) and the operation in competitive environments. Virtual Power Players (VPP) can aggregate several players, namely a diversity of energy resources, including distributed generation (DG) based on several technologies, electric storage systems (ESS) and demand response (DR). Energy resources management gains an increasing relevance in this competitive context. This makes the DR use more interesting and flexible, giving place to a wide range of new opportunities. This paper proposes a methodology to support VPPs in the DR programs’ management, considering all the existing energy resources (generation and storage units) and the distribution network. The proposed method is based on locational marginal prices (LMP) values. The evaluation of the impact of using DR specific programs in the LMP values supports the manager decision concerning the DR use. The proposed method has been computationally implemented and its application is illustrated in this paper using a 33-bus network with intensive use of DG.

Real Time Pricing Approaches to Deal With Unexpected Wind Power Variations

The use of renewables have been increased I several countries around the world, namely in Europe. The wind power is generally the larger renewable resource with very specific characteristics in what concerns its variability and the inherent impacts in the power systems and electricity markets operation. This paper focuses on the Portuguese context of renewables use, including wind power. The work here presented includes the use of a real time pricing methodology developed by the authors aiming the reduction of electricity consumption in the moments of unexpected low wind power. A more specific example of application of real time pricing is demonstrated for the minimization of the operation costs in a distribution network. When facing lower wind power generation than expected from day ahead forecast, demand response is used in order to minimize the impacts of such wind availability change. In this way, consumers actively participate in regulation up and spinning reserve ancillary services through demand response programs.

Constrained Consumption Shifting Management in the Distributed Energy Resources Scheduling Considering Demand Response

Demand response concept has been gaining increasing importance while the success of several recent implementations makes this resource benefits unquestionable. This happens in a power systems operation environment that also considers an intensive use of distributed generation. However, more adequate approaches and models are needed in order to address the small size consumers and producers aggregation, while taking into account these resources goals. The present paper focuses on the demand response programs and distributed generation resources management by a Virtual Power Player that optimally aims to minimize its operation costs taking the consumption shifting constraints into account. The impact of the consumption shifting in the distributed generation resources schedule is also considered. The methodology is applied to three scenarios based on 218 consumers and 4 types of distributed generation, in a time frame of 96 periods.

Incentive-based demand response programs designed by asset-light retailers for day-ahead market

Following the deregulation experience of retail electricity markets in most countries, the majority of the new entrants of the liberalized retail market were pure REP (retail electricity providers). These entities were subject to financial risks because of the unexpected price variations, price spikes, volatile loads and the potential for market power exertion by GENCO (generation companies). A REP can manage the market risks by employing the DR (demand response) programs and using its' generation and storage assets at the distribution network to serve the customers. The proposed model suggests how a REP with light physical assets, such as DG (distributed generation) units and ESS (energy storage systems), can survive in a competitive retail market. The paper discusses the effective risk management strategies for the REPs to deal with the uncertainties of the DAM (day-ahead market) and how to hedge the financial losses in the market. A two-stage stochastic programming problem is formulated. It aims to establish the financial incentive-based DR programs and the optimal dispatch of the DG units and ESSs. The uncertainty of the forecasted day-ahead load demand and electricity price is also taken into account with a scenario-based approach. The principal advantage of this model for REPs is reducing the risk of financial losses in DAMs, and the main benefit for the whole system is market power mitigation by virtually increasing the price elasticity of demand and reducing the peak demand.

Distributed Energy Resources Management using Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles as a Fuel-Shifting Demand Response Resource

In the smart grids context, distributed energy resources management plays an important role in the power systems’ operation. Battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles should be important resources in the future distribution networks operation. Therefore, it is important to develop adequate methodologies to schedule the electric vehicles’ charge and discharge processes, avoiding network congestions and providing ancillary services. This paper proposes the participation of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in fuel shifting demand response programs. Two services are proposed, namely the fuel shifting and the fuel discharging. The fuel shifting program consists in replacing the electric energy by fossil fuels in plug-in hybrid electric vehicles daily trips, and the fuel discharge program consists in use of their internal combustion engine to generate electricity injecting into the network. These programs are included in an energy resources management algorithm which integrates the management of other resources. The paper presents a case study considering a 37-bus distribution network with 25 distributed generators, 1908 consumers, and 2430 plug-in vehicles. Two scenarios are tested, namely a scenario with high photovoltaic generation, and a scenario without photovoltaic generation. A sensitivity analyses is performed in order to evaluate when each energy resource is required.

Study of Proposed Identification of Non-Technical Losses of Electricity in Brazil

The electric utilities have large revenue losses annually due to commercial losses, which are caused mainly by fraud on the part of consumers and faulty meters. Automatic detection of such losses where there is a complex problem, given the large number of consumers and the high cost of each inspection, not to mention the wear of the relationship between company and consumer. Given the above, this paper aims to briefly present some methodologies applied by utilities to identify consumer frauds.