Decentralised dispatch of distributed energy resources in smart grids via multi-agent coalition formation

• We propose a multi-agent coalition formation-based mechanism for efficient energy dispatch in power distribution networks.
• This mechanism is decentralised and does not need global information.
• The network structure has influence on the performance of the mechanism.

The energy dispatch problem is a fundamental research issue in power distribution networks. With the growing complexity and dimensions of current distribution networks, there is an increasing need for intelligent and scalable mechanisms to facilitate energy dispatch in these networks. To this end, in this paper, we propose a multi-agent coalition formation-based energy dispatch mechanism. This mechanism is decentralised without requiring a central controller or any global information. As this mechanism does not need a central controller, the single point of failure can be avoided and since this mechanism does not require any global information, good scalability can be expected. In addition, this mechanism enables each node in a distribution network to make decisions autonomously about energy dispatch through a negotiation protocol. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of this mechanism in comparison with three recently developed representative mechanisms.