Optimal energy management of a distribution network during the course of a heat wave

• Effect of ambient temperature on the available capacity of power grid components.
• Energy dispatch model for a power grid subjected to extreme temperatures.
• Usage of demand responsive loads to help with shortage of supply.
• Comparison of grid dispatch with and without temperature effects.

Heat waves are prolonged periods of excessive ambient temperature that may last up to several weeks. In addition to posing health threats to the society, these events may easily push the power grid towards its operational limits. The maximum capacity of many energy resources gets negatively affected by excess temperatures. This can be in addition to the expected loss of life due to operation under harsh conditions. Overhead lines, on the other hand, experience excessive conductor surface temperatures that can drastically reduce their power transmission capacity. To make matters worse, the reduction in generation and/or transmission capacity will coincide with a rise in electric demand, often attributed to the overutilization of air-conditioning systems. This can jeopardize the ability of the power grid to maintain system stability. A key to ensuring that the grid continues operating safely and securely is to incorporate the effect of temperature into its operation schedule. In this paper, we propose an optimal generation dispatch strategy for a distribution grid exposed to a heat wave event, while taking into account the dependence of operational constraints of various components on ambient temperature. We study a power grid equipped with renewable and non-renewable distributed generation, battery energy storage, and demand responsive loads. We evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed approach on a test system with data acquired from the heat wave event of July 2006 in Sacramento, CA.