Situation Awareness by Simple Intuitive Traffic Light Signals for Smart Utilisation of Local Demand and Supply Flexibility

Abstract

To realise the energy transition, every renewable source shall at least partially contribute to the demand–supply balancing, including customer-owned controllable loads and energy sources. Their commonly small size and spatial occurrence suggests addressing volatility issues locally, using local flexibilities to mitigate their impact. This calls for simple and effective signalling that enables interaction among local stakeholders, including local producers and customers. According interfaces and information formats appear to not yet exist. In this article, we propose a traffic-light-like system that enables the local grid operator to trigger situation-aware customer behaviour, supporting grid stability when needed and, in return, allowing customers to fully exploit temporary grid capacity when no safety or stability issues persist. The applied intuitive deduction method based on existing coordination mechanisms and objectives indicates, without proof, that the proposed granular traffic light system can enable the distribution grid flexibility required to facilitate more renewable energy being produced and inserted by local customers, to relieve grid levels above from transporting and equalising volatile energy shares, and to improve the economics of distributed renewable energy sources.

Interoperability as a key factor for digitalisation — a success story for cross-sector knowledge transfer

“…Same applies for situations where any communica-Fig. 5 Interpretation of colour signals from the RGB Grid Traffic Light [15] tion protocol/technology can be used, as it applies for the public grid state signalling outlined in [16]. Thus, IES Integration Profiles can vary in detail and style, but always consist of normative/harmonising specifications.…”

OAS Deep Q-Learning-Based Fast and Smooth Control Method for Traffic Signal Transition in Urban Arterial Tidal Lanes

“…Zhou et al (2023) proposed a real-time dynamic reversible lane safety control model based on the length of reversible lanes and the transition of signal timings [33]. Franzl et al proposed a traffic-light-like system that enables the local grid operator to trigger situation-aware customer behavior, supporting grid stability when needed and, in return, allowing customers to fully exploit temporary grid capacity when no safety or stability issues persist [34]. Ma et al presented a method on the development and evaluation of an economic-driving assistance program for transit vehicles (EDTVs) which can minimize energy consumption [35].…”