Multi-Network Constrained Operational Optimization in Community Integrated Energy Systems: A Safe Reinforcement Learning Approach

The integrated community energy system (ICES) has emerged as a promising solution for enhancing the efficiency of the distribution system by effectively coordinating multiple energy sources. However, the operational optimization of ICES is hindered by the physical constraints of heterogeneous networks including electricity, natural gas, and heat. These challenges are difficult to address due to the non-linearity of network constraints and the high complexity of multi-network coordination. This paper, therefore, proposes a novel Safe Reinforcement Learning (SRL) algorithm to optimize the multi-network constrained operation problem of ICES. Firstly, a comprehensive ICES model is established considering integrated demand response (IDR), multiple energy devices, and network constraints. The multi-network operational optimization problem of ICES is then presented and reformulated as a constrained Markov Decision Process (C-MDP) accounting for violating physical network constraints. The proposed novel SRL algorithm, named Primal-Dual Twin Delayed Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (PD-TD3), solves the C-MDP by employing a Lagrangian multiplier to penalize the multi-network constraint violation, ensuring that violations are within a tolerated range and avoid over-conservative strategy with a low reward at the same time. The proposed algorithm accurately estimates the cumulative reward and cost of the training process, thus achieving a fair balance between improving profits and reducing constraint violations in a privacy-protected environment with only partial information. A case study comparing the proposed algorithm with benchmark RL algorithms demonstrates the computational performance in increasing total profits and alleviating the network constraint violations.