Providing ancillary service to power grid
In this section, we describe how reinforcement learning can help with integrating clean energy resources into power grid by managing smart appliances in home and office buildings.
Power grid operations and ancillary services
Transmission and distribution of electricity power from generators to consumers is a massive operation that requires continuous monitoring and control of the system. In particular, the generation and consumption should be nearly equal in a region to keep the electric current at the standard frequency (60 Hz in the United States) to prevent blackouts and damages. This is a challenging undertaking for various reasons:
- Power supply is planned ahead in energy markets with the generators in the region to match the demand.
- Despite the planning, future power supply is uncertain, especially when obtained from renewable resources. The amount of wind and solar may be less or more than expected, causing under or...