Project code: COCAPLEN
Research group: Multi-agent and Adaptive Computation (SEN4)
Project coordinator: Han La Poutré

Network Capacity Planning (NCP) is important for technical and
economic efficiency and adequacy of future electricity networks. The
aim of efficient NCP is to enable the required transition towards a
more flexible and sustainable energy system combined with higher
participation on the decentralized electricity market.

The planning of resource investments in electrical power systems has
always been a hard task, as the generation capacity should meet
demand, but not exceed it, causing unnecessarily high costs. Network
capacity planning (NCP) is also an inherently multi-objective problem.
It deals with deciding on investments at several locations with
various types of network components and configurations, as well as
different time paths for investing. Important objectives are optimal
network capacity (so that future demand and production of electricity
can be facilitated), minimal total costs, optimal technical
performance of the network (meet technical requirements with respect
to power quality and network stability), and robustness of investments
in many possible future developments scenarios.

Key to successful decision support is the ability to study different
scenarios for future network and economics developments, and to
optimize the various objectives that are of importance within these
scenarios. Due to the high complexity of measuring the effects of
investments in the network, analytical methods are not feasible. For
this, novel and efficient simulation models and tools for the network
and its actors are required. Thus, the objectives can be measured by a
complex simulation that is essentially a black box, with the
parameters such as the network structure, prices, and capacity levels
as input, and the objective values as output. Given such results, the
subsequent problem is how to optimize the input parameters.

The project focuses on computational optimisation in NCP and develops
novel ICT tools (Information and Communication Technology) for
scenario simulation and decision-making in NCP. It develops network
models and simulation platforms for realistic network and usage
outcomes from parameter and scenario choices, and it develops advanced
and dedicated multi-objective optimization techniques in the field of
evolutionary algorithms in order to deal with the high complexity of
the problem at hand.

The project will deliver the foundations for future software systems
that will enable regulators, network operators, consultants, and
applied energy researchers to make informed decisions on electricity
networks. Especially, network operators will be enabled to incorporate
the high uncertainty and complexity of the electricity sector in its
planning processes. This ability reduces large investment risks, which
eases the integration of renewable energy production technologies and
sustains a reliable electricity supply. Therefore, the project
contributes to decentralized durable energy supply in future networks,
with reliability of supply and cost-effectiveness.

Members
PhD vacancy, Peter Bosman, Han La Poutré

Partners
TU Eindhoven www.tue.nl
KEMA www.kema.com/nl