Using OPF-Based Operating Envelopes to Facilitate Residential DER Services

Abstract

The proliferation of residential distributed energy resources (DER), such as solar PV and batteries, is creating opportunities for DER owners to provide system-level services through aggregators. However, if this aggregated response is not adequately managed by distribution companies, the simultaneous active power exports (or imports) can result in voltages and currents well beyond the limits of their networks. But the big barrier is that, often, distribution companies cannot directly manage DER or aggregators. This work proposes the use of operating envelopes - time-varying, meter-level export/import limits that a distribution company issues to aggregators - to ensure network integrity whil..