A Deployed Multi-Agent Framework for Distributed Energy Applications Geoff James 1 , Dave Cohen 2 , Robert Dodier 2 , Glenn Platt 3 , and Doug Palmer 1 1 CSIRO ICT Centre Locked Bag 17 North Ryde NSW 1670 Australia +61 2 9325 3276 {first.last}@csiro.au 2 Infotility Inc 1327 Spruce St. Suite 201 Boulder CO 80301 USA +1 720 210 1984 {first}@infotility.com 3 CSIRO Energy Technology PO Box 330 Newcastle NSW 2300 Australia +61 2 4960 6120 {first.last}@csiro.au ABSTRACT In this paper, we describe the adaptation of an open-source multi- agent platform for distributed energy applications and the trial deployment of resource-controller agents. The platform provides real-time, two-way communication and decision making between distributed energy resources – loads and generators – in electricity distribution networks. Such a decentralized architecture improves grid reliability, allows consumers to play a more active role in their energy usage, benefits the network by alleviating the effects of peak wholesale prices and network constraints, and creates new business opportunities in a deregulated market. Agents have been deployed to control hardware at trial locations in Australia, providing a realistic test environment for the platform, and medium-scale trials are anticipated in the near future. Categories and Subject Descriptors J.2 [Physical Sciences and Engineering]: Engineering. General Terms Algorithms, Management, Design, Experimentation. Keywords Applications of autonomous agents and multi-agent systems; collective and emergent agent behavior; frameworks, infrastructures and environments for agent systems. 1. INTRODUCTION The GridAgents Framework is being developed by Infotility, under contract with the U.S. Department of Energy, and CSIRO. It consists of an adaptive, intelligent agent-based software system which can provide real-time, two-way communication and decision making between distributed DER system nodes. Distributed Energy Resources (DER) have the potential to provide significant benefits to the electric grid infrastructure and to society as a whole. DERs are typically smaller-scale energy and storage technologies sited close to electrical and thermal loads. DER technologies are increasingly being considered to augment the existing power delivery infrastructure as part of grid reliability programs (emergency response, price response, ancillary services, etc.). They also offer a solution to electricity market participants exposed to peak wholesale prices and constrained network infrastructure. DER has the potential to provide reactive power (generated close to loads) which is highly beneficial for maintaining grid voltage stability. DER combined with next- generation sensing, communication, and control technologies will enable a “path change” by providing the ability to intelligently respond to grid reliability and market signals in a cost-effective manner. The traditional site-specific benefits of DER (efficiency, environmental, local reliability, etc.) can be enhanced by the use of next-generation distributed computing technologies such as those used in this work. Another important aspect of the proposed agent-based software is that it enables the ability to create on-the-fly “aggregate” blocks of capacity for presentation to the energy markets. This functionality along with intelligent islanding and other control concepts has been proposed as various forms of the “microgrid” concept by several research organizations including the DOE. The design is based on a distributed, bottom-up approach to responding to grid contingencies and is intended to supplement the existing power distribution network communication infrastructure. 2. SELECTING A PLATFORM Agent-based software applications require a foundation to manage basic operations. Various agent toolkits, platforms, toolkits, and methodologies, both proprietary and open-source, were reviewed in order to select a platform to build upon for the GridAgents Framework under development. An agent platform acts as a middleware layer, providing services such as lifecycle management, resource management, messaging, security, directory services, and behaviors. By using such a platform, a programmer is not required to re-invent (and debug) the wheel for each agent project. Permission to make digital or hard copies of all or part of this work for personal or classroom use is granted without fee provided that copies are not made or distributed for profit or commercial advantage and that copies bear this notice and the full citation on the first page. To copy otherwise, or republish, to post on servers or to redistribute to lists, requires prior specific permission and/or a fee. AAMAS’06, May 8-12, 2006, Hakodate, Hokkaido, Japan. Copyright 2006 ACM 1-59593-303-4/06/0005...$5.00. 676