A Market-based MAS Framework for Microgrids Z.F.Qiu*. G. Deconinck* N.Gui**. R.Duan*. R.Belmans* *ELECTA/ESAT, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium (Tel: 032-16321810; e-mail: zhifeng.qiu@ esat.kuleuven.be). ** University of Antwerpen, Antwerpen, Belgium Abstract: This paper proposes a distributed multi-agent system (MAS) framework for market-based control in Microgrids. The proposed system consists of two main entities, Energy Selling Agents (ESAs) and Energy Buying Agents (EBAs). In order to alleviate the internal complexity of the agent, three kinds of delegate mobile agents are designed. They are issued by the corresponding agents according to their different functions assumed in the BDI (belief, desire, intention) architecture, such as one kind of delegate mobile agent fulfills the function for building and maintaining the environment information. Through the coordination and interaction of the agents and the delegate mobile agents, the energy exchange between the power resource units and the local loads is realized dynamically. 1. INTRODUCTION The use of small-scale generation connected to the local distribution systems, commonly referred to as ‘Distribution Generation’ (DG), has greatly increased during the last decades. Using DG to reduce the physical and electrical distance between generation and loads can contribute to improving reactive support and enhancing the voltage profile, removing distribution and transmission bottlenecks, reducing losses, enhancing the possibility of using waste heat and postponing investments in new transmission and large scale generation systems [Ackermann,T., et al., 2001; Pepermans, G., et al., 2005]. A better way to realize the emerging potential of distributed generation is to take a system approach which views generation and associated loads as a subsystem or a “Microgrid” [Van, T. Vu., Belmans, R., 2006]. This approach allows for local control of distributed generation thereby reducing or eliminating the need for central dispatch. An important aspect of Microgrids is to find a suitable control strategy that will take advantage of the inherent scalability and robustness benefits of distributed energy [Robert, H., Lasseter,R.2007]. Now, more and more distributed energy resources (DERs) and loads become intelligent electronic devices (IEDs) that are interconnected over information infrastructure, as indicated in Figure 1. Thus, distributed control can be applied on these IEDs with decision-making done locally. A scalable and robust energy system with each power resource and load can potentially be created. In this context, the agent technology is a suitable approach for autonomous control of distributed energy resource Microgrids. In reference [Dimeas, A.L., Hatziagyriou, N.D., 2005], a central controller agent is proposed to optimize the Microgrids by coordinating the local controller of power producing unit and the local control of the consuming unit. Reference [Kok, K., Warmer, C., et al., 2005] also employs a similar central control agent (Power Matcher) to accomplish the system goal. In such kind systems, central control stations form single points of failure and may have scalability problems. Thanks to by having power resources, intelligent loads and storage devices following a common communication structure, adding (removing) power resources to meet the increasing (decreasing) load demand would be easier than the traditional way of incorporating new resources into a centralized control strategy. In such situation, other authors in [Vanthournout, K., Brabandere, K. D., et al., 2005] propose autonomous electricity networks (AEN). In such network, a group of distributed generators, intelligent loads and storage devices is capable of cooperation and control in a distributed manner, without central controller. The accomplishment of all this is based on standard components and public communication networks. Fig. 1 Microgrids, consisting of DERs interconnected via the electricity grid (thick lines) and corresponding IEDs interconnected via the info’structure(dashed lines) Proceedings of the 17th World Congress The International Federation of Automatic Control Seoul, Korea, July 6-11, 2008 978-1-1234-7890-2/08/$20.00 © 2008 IFAC 11053 10.3182/20080706-5-KR-1001.2516