Distributed hierarchical control architecture for integrating smart grid assets during normal and disrupted operations

A system for coordinating distribution of electricity according to a distributed hierarchical control architecture (DHCA), comprising:

• one or more device-level transactive controllers at a device level of the DHCA;
• one or more feeder-level transactive controllers at a feeder level of the DHCA;
• one or more area-level transactive controllers at an area level of the DHCA;
• and
• one or more system-level transactive controllers of the DHCA,
• at least one of the device-level transactive controllers and at least one of the feeder-level transactive controllers being configured to communicate with one another,
• at least one of the feeder-level transactive controllers and at least one of the area-level transactive controllers being configured to communicate with one another,
• at least one of the area-level transactive controllers and at least one of the system-level transactive controllers being configured to communicate with one another,
• wherein the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers are configured to participate in a real-time market for settling a price for electricity in one or more upcoming time intervals for the real-time market, and
• wherein at least some of the device-level transactive controllers, feeder-level transactive controllers, area-level transactive controllers, and system-level transactive controllers are also configured to participate in a balancing market, the balancing market being configured to maintain system stability during periods of imbalance in the system.

A method for operating a controller in a market-based electrical-energy-allocation system, comprising:

• by computing hardware:
• computing one or more transactive signals for coordinating the use, supply, or both use and supply of electricity in an upcoming time interval of a transactive control energy market, the time interval being a periodic time interval;
• receiving one or more signals indicating an imbalance in the electrical-energy-allocation system;
• and
• responsive to the one or more signals indicating the imbalance, implementing a control strategy for reducing the imbalance, wherein the receiving and the implementing occur independent and autonomously of the transactive signals exchanged during the periodic time interval.