Groupe d’études et de recherche en analyse des décisions

# Unit Commitment - Challenges and Wind Energy

## Bala Venkatesh – Ryerson University, Canada

Unit commitment is a challenging problem to solve. Its key attributes include: (1) A set of nonlinear power balance equations that are hourly. The number of sets equal 24 for the day-ahead challenge. The number of equations in each set equals $$2N$$ where $$N$$ is the number of buses in the system. (2) A set of intertemporal constraints that bind the 24 hourly solutions together. These include generator status, ramping limits on generator outputs, etc. (3) A whole host of operating limits such as generator output limits, line flow MVA limits, bus voltage magnitude limits, etc are imposed on the solution. The objective for the problem is to minimize the total generation cost. This presentation outlines these challenges and discusses a possible solution process using sequential mixed integer linear programming algorithm. Further, the challenge of integrating wind energy to such an algorithm is also briefly discussed.