A system of systems approach to the evolutionary transformation of power management systems

Abstract

Power management systems of the future will be very different from the ones today. They will be complex systems of systems that directly incorporate distributed energy resources into the scheduling processes, react much quicker to changes in power demand and production than today's, and will allow small groups of producers and consumers to participate in the power market. This will lead to a more flexible, robust, and scalable power grid if the technological challenges can be mastered. We propose techniques that support this transition in five evolutionary steps, incorporating proven as well as new ideas. These steps are founded in the belief that agency of system components like power plants, trust as a measure of uncertainty, and selforganisation will be the keys to tackle the challenges at hand. Apart from describing approaches and algorithms that can help us in this matter, we provide preliminary evaluations that show that the techniques are worthwhile and should be further pursued.