Evaluation of Power system Reliability Management: Towards Socially Acceptable Short-term Reliability Criteria

Name: Evelyn Heylen

Prof. dr. ir. Dirk Van Hertem

Prof. dr. ir. Geert Deconinck

Nowadays, reliability in power systems is managed based on the N-1 reliability criterion. The N-1 criterion states that if a single component in the power system fails, that the power supply may not be disturbed. Evolutions in power systems, such as the increasing use of uncertain and variable renewable energy sources and new technologies, challenge the N-1 criterion. New risk-based criteria are under development, but it is not clear how these new criteria perform compared to the N-1 criterion. Different criteria have different characteristics, so it is not straightforward to compare them.

This work defines how to evaluate the performance of power system reliability criteria and a framework to evaluate the different performance aspects of reliability criteria is developed. This framework simulates the decisions of the system operator based on different reliability criteria. The decision-making process under evaluation ranges from one day ahead of real time up to real time. This decision-making process and the resulting state of the power system are evaluated on different domains, which can steer the development of new reliability criteria.

The design of new reliability criteria has to consider the requirements of the system operator, e.g., ELIA in Belgium, and the end-consumers. The criterion has to be practically applicable: It may not be too complex and the required data need to be available. On the contrary, electricity has to be affordable for the end-consumer within socially acceptable norms. One of the aspects on which the social acceptability of reliability management can be judged, is the distribution of reliability among consumers. Indices are developed to evaluate the equality and equity of the distribution of reliability among the consumers. System operators can use these indices to suppress public opposition against decisions that are required to maintain or improve the performance of power system management.

Ideally, reliability management is thus, besides being practical and applicable, simultaneously affordable, results in a high reliability level and the reliability is distributed among the end-consumers in a fair way. These three aspects result in a trilemma between cost-effectiveness, reliability and a fair distribution of reliability in practice. The three aspects of the performance trilemma can be influenced by adapting the existing reliability criterion. Controllable factors are proposed that facilitate the transition from the currently used N-1 criterion to risk-based reliability management. Moreover, it is assessed how the performance of reliability criteria is impacted by how consumers value the energy not served. These studies have resulted in recommendations to policy makers and authorities, regulatory agencies and system operators.

https://lirias.kuleuven.be/handle/123456789/603992

Prof. dr. ir. Dirk Van Hertem (promotor)
Prof. dr. ir. Geert Deconinck (copromotor)
Prof. dr. ir. Hugo Hens (voorzitter/chairman)
Prof. dr. ir. Ruth Vazquez Sabariego. (secretaris/secretary)
Prof. dr. Stefaan Proost
Prof. dr. ir. Yolande Berbers
Prof. dr. Louis Wehenkel, Université de Liège
Prof. dr. Matthias Troffaes, Durham University