Method and system for the hierarchical scheduling of energy flows in microgrids deploying battery energy storage systems

A system for managing energy flows between an electrical grid and a plurality of microgrids each microgrid deploying at least one battery energy storage system and controlled by a microgrid controller, the system comprising:

• a central controller comprising a virtual power plant (VPP) controller, the VPP controller arranged to receive electrical grid information from external sources and arranged to generate an aggregate long-term schedule and an aggregate short-term schedule for energy flows and energy prices for the plurality microgrids connected to the VPP controller;
• wherein the aggregate long-term schedule comprises at least a day-ahead plan, over a long-term scheduling horizon, defining at least grid power exchange, and power and energy pricing for each of the plurality of microgrids connected to the VPP controller,
• wherein the aggregate short-term schedule comprises a near real-time plan, over a short-term scheduling horizon shorter than the long-term scheduling horizon, defining updated power import and updated power export for the plurality of microgrids;
• wherein the VPP controller comprises:
• a VPP long-term scheduler configured to generate the aggregate long-term schedule for the energy flows and energy price for the plurality of microgrids connected to the VPP;
• a VPP short-term scheduler configured to generate the aggregate short-term schedule for power import and export for the plurality of microgrids connected to the VPP controller;
• and
• a microgrid scheduler associated with each microgrid connected to the VPP controller, each microgrid scheduler comprising:
• a long-term day(s)-ahead scheduler configured to receive the aggregate long-term schedule and to generate a microgrid long-term schedule for controlling energy flows between the electrical grid and each microgrid and its connected battery energy storage system;
• and
• a short-term near real-time scheduler configured to receive the aggregate short-term near real-time schedule and to correct microgrid long-term schedule using a microgrid short-term near real-time schedule, wherein the microgrid short-term near real-time schedule comprising an updated near real-time schedule generated at a higher update frequency than the microgrid long-term schedule to compensate for forecast uncertainties.