GRIDSPICE: A VIRTUAL PLATFORM FOR MODELING, ANALYSIS, AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE SMART GRID
ABBAS EL GAMAL, STEPHEN BOYD, BENJAMIN VAN ROY, AMIT NARAYAN AND DAN O'NEILL
The project aims to research and begin prototype development of GridSpice, a software simulation system for modeling, design, planning and optimization of the smart grid. GridSpice will model the interactions between all parts of the electrical network–including generation, transmission, distribution, storage and loads; in addition, it will also model the wholesale and retail electricity markets, and response of consumers to price sensitive contracts.
We expect that GridSpice will serve as a useful, easy-to-use tool for industry practitioners, regulators, and researchers to forecast and improve system efficiency and reliability, maximize ROI on new technologies, reduce costs for all constituents, and introduce more effective pricing models. We also plan to investigate algorithms and techniques for demand response, electric vehicle infrastructure planning, utility scale storage, and home area appliance control.