When Smart Grid Meets Cloud Computing: Theory, Algorithm Development, and Evaluation

智能电网是下一代电网。它旨在与可再生能源相结合，以高效、可靠、清洁和可持续的方式提供电力。智能电网支持先进的计量基础设施和公用事业公司与其客户之间的实时双向通信。这有利于使用需求侧管理，允许客户从高峰到非高峰期间安排负载。智能电网还支持微电网的整合，这些微电网拥有自己的发电和储能系统。为了成功部署智能电网，公用事业公司必须：(a)以无缝的方式将大规模分布式能源整合到电网中；(b)制订有效和可靠的电网控制和监测算法；（三）具备足够的计算能力和数据储存能力，以管理来自智能电表的大量资料。在计算机网络领域，云计算是计算、信息管理和数据存储的下一代范式。云计算涉及许多可通过Internet访问的分布式数据中心。按需计算资源可以快速发放给客户。对于公用事业公司来说，将一些计算任务和数据存储卸载到云端是有益的。然而，数据中心的运行需要消耗大量的电力。开发节能算法来调度数据中心服务器的操作是非常重要的。

The smart grid is the next generation electric power grid. It aims to integrate with renewable sources and provide electricity in an efficient, reliable, clean and sustainable manner. Smart grid supports advanced metering infrastructure and real-time bidirectional communications between utility companies and their customers. This facilitates the use of demand side management, which allows the customers to schedule loads from on-peak to off-peak periods. The smart grid also supports the integration of microgrids, which have their own electricity generations and energy storage. For a successful deployment of smart grid, it is important for utility companies to (a) integrate large-scale distributed energy resources to the grid in a seamless manner; (b) develop efficient and reliable grid control and monitoring algorithms; (c) have sufficient computation capabilities and data storage to manage the large amounts of information from the smart meters. In the computer networking domain, cloud computing is the next generation paradigm for computing, information management, and data storage. Cloud computing involves many distributed data centers which are accessible through the Internet. On-demand computing resources can be rapidly provisioned to the customers. It is beneficial for the utility companies to offload some of the computational tasks and data storage to the cloud. However, data centers consume a significant amount of electricity to operate. It is important to develop energy-efficient algorithms to schedule the operations of servers in the data centers. In this proposed research program, we aim, in the long-term, to develop a cloud-based smart grid architecture, which (a) facilitates seamless integration of various types of distributed energy resources; and (b) supports real-time monitoring, forecasting, and control of distributed generators and distributed energy resources at the transmission and distribution level. We will focus on the following inter-related short-term objectives: (i) Design an energy-efficient cloud computing network architecture for smart grid to facilitate access, monitoring, data analytics, real-time control, load forecasting, and data storage; (ii) Develop cloud-based unit commitment, economic dispatch, and demand side management algorithms that can control various types of loads and heterogeneous distributed energy resources connected to the power grid in a scalable and reliable manner; (iii) Develop efficient cloud-based energy trading and pricing algorithms for energy systems and microgrids in different market types. We anticipate that our research will find practical novel solutions and applications for the benefit of the local and the global energy systems and telecommunications industries. They are expected to have a lasting impact in contributing towards the long-term competitiveness of Canada’s technological innovation.