• Proposes a weighting factor-based framework for VPP frequency control. • Develops a mathematical model to illustrate the factors affecting the frequency performance. • Comprehensively quantifies the trade-off between energy consumption and improvement in frequency nadir using the new performance index. • Comparison of performance with the other reported methods to showcase the superiority of the proposed frequency control framework. • Evaluates the performance of the proposed strategy for a range of weighting factors to identify trade-offs between different selections. The widespread integration of renewable-based distributed energy resources (DERs) introduces challenges to maintaining frequency stability due to the lack of system inertia. To address this issue, virtual power plants (VPPs), which aggregate and coordinate the operation of participating DERs, such as wind, solar photovoltaics (PV) systems and battery energy storage systems (BESSs), into a unified entity, have emerged as a viable solution. Among the various ancillary services offered by VPPs, frequency regulation is particularly critical and thus requires an effective coordination strategy to provide an effective frequency response during contingencies. Existing research on VPP-based frequency regulation predominantly focuses on optimisation-driven control mechanisms, often prioritising economic benefits over technical robustness. This paper proposes a simple yet effective weighted-bias-factor-based strategy to enhance frequency regulation in a centrally coordinated VPP. The proposed strategy incorporates key practical considerations into frequency response decisions, including real-time headroom availability, state-of-charge (SoC), and the electrical proximity of BESSs, distinguishing it from conventional approaches that primarily rely on rated capacities. A comprehensive performance evaluation of the proposed strategy, including a mathematical analysis, demonstrates its effectiveness in improving frequency response compared to the traditional strategy. This proposed strategy also balances economic efficiency and grid frequency support, making it a potentially practical and feasible option for obtaining frequency support from VPPs under high renewable penetration.
Fernandopulle et al. (Sun,) studied this question.