Coordination of resources at the edge of the electricity grid: Systematic review and taxonomy. (15th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Charbonnier, Flora; Morstyn, Thomas; McCulloch, Malcolm D.
• Is Part Of: Applied energy. Volume 318(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-07-15
• Subjects: Coordination -- Renewable energy -- Peer-to-peer energy trading -- Transactive energy -- Smart grids -- Distributed energy resources; Power (Mechanics) -- Periodicals; Energy conservation -- Periodicals; Energy conversion -- Periodicals; 621.042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2022.119188
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0306-2619

Abstract

Abstract: This paper proposes a novel taxonomy of coordination strategies for distributed energy resources at the edge of the electricity grid, based on a systematic analysis of key literature trends. The coordination of distributed energy resources such as decentralised generation and flexibility sources is critical for decarbonising electricity and achieving climate goals. The literature on the topic is growing exponentially; however, there is ambiguity in the terminology used to date. We seek to resolve this lack of clarity by synthesising the categories of coordination strategies in a novel exhaustive, mutually exclusive taxonomy based on agency, information and game type. The relevance of these concepts in the literature is illustrated through a systematic literature review of 84, 741 publications using a structured topic search query. Then 93 selected coordination strategies are analysed in more detail and mapped onto this framework. Clarity on structural assumptions is key for selecting appropriate coordination strategies for differing contexts within energy systems. We argue that a plurality of complementary strategies is needed to coordinate energy systems' different components and achieve deep decarbonisation. Graphical abstract: Highlights: Systematic and detailed literature reviews help identify key coordination literature trends. A novel taxonomy synthesises distributed energy resources coordination strategies. Agency, information, and game type are key literature concepts for classification. The taxonomy helps resolve the current ambiguity of terminology in the field.