Multi-Scenario Dispatch Characteristics and Water Quality Parameter Sensitivity of Virtual Power Plants Based on Sewage–Sludge Co-Treatment

With the accelerating urbanization process, traditional wastewater treatment plants are facing dual challenges of high energy consumption and high carbon emissions. To address the current research gaps in studies regarding the overlooked synergistic potential of sludge, the unclear quantification of regulation capacity, and the insufficient analysis of multi-scenario adaptability in wastewater treatment plants, this paper integrates carbon emission costs, wastewater grading, and a multi-energy complementary mechanism to establish a VPP dispatch optimization model incorporating sewage–sludge co-treatment. The superiority and robustness of the co-dispatch model are validated through simulations across multiple seasonal scenarios (dry, wet, and normal seasons) and various water quality parameters. The results indicate that the co-treatment mode can significantly enhance system revenue (with an increase of up to 34.3% in the wet season), reduce carbon emissions (with a reduction rate exceeding 57% across all seasons), and improve grid regulation potential (with upward and downward regulation potentials increasing by 248% and 288%, respectively, in the wet season). Furthermore, variations in water quality exert a notable nonlinear impact on the system’s economic performance, environmental benefits, and regulation capacity. As the water quality concentration increases, the system’s dispatch strategy gradually shifts from prioritizing “peak-shaving benefits” to prioritizing “carbon cost control”.