Overview
IEC TS 63189-2:2023 - Virtual Power Plants (VPP) Part 2: Use Cases provides a structured collection of use cases for virtual power plants that aggregate distributed generation, controllable loads, and electrical energy storages. The technical specification captures business roles, actors, scenarios, processes and functional steps to help stakeholders define VPP requirements from a system perspective. It also supports interoperability, requirements harmonization and future standardization activities for VPP and DER aggregation projects.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Scope and applicability: Use cases apply to VPPs, DER aggregation (physical or virtual), and microgrids.
- System requirements: Covers general considerations and basic requirements including privacy, cybersecurity, adaptability/flexibility, interoperability, communication and information, and reliability.
- Operational risk classification: Framework for identifying major, moderate and minor operational risks for VPPs.
- Business roles and actors: Defines roles such as VPP participant, DER owner, system operator, electricity market operator and other stakeholders.
- Use case methodology: Template-driven approach with a use case matrix, narrative, scope/objectives, KPIs, scenario conditions, diagrams (actors, processes), technical details, step-by-step scenarios and information exchanged.
- Standardization intent: Designed to build a common nomenclature for functions and roles, and to feed the IEC Use Case management repository.
Practical applications
- Project design and requirements: Use the documented use cases to derive system and functional requirements for VPP pilots, DER aggregation projects, and microgrids.
- Interoperability planning: Adopt the VPP use-case templates to specify interfaces, data flows and communication needs across devices, aggregators and market platforms.
- Risk and operations planning: Apply the operational risk categories and scenario steps to develop operational procedures and contingency plans.
- Regulatory and market participation: Support market-operator integration, demand response schemes, ancillary services and energy-storage dispatch by clarifying roles and exchanged information.
- Vendor and integrator alignment: Manufacturers, platform providers and integrators can use the use cases to align product features with common VPP functional expectations.
Who will use this standard
- VPP operators and developers
- Distributed generation and energy storage operators
- Demand response service providers and aggregators
- System and electricity market operators
- Distribution/transmission companies, energy service companies, regulators and technology vendors
Related standards
- IEC SRD 62913-1:2019 (Use Case methodology for smart grid requirements) - normative reference used by this document.
- Other parts of the IEC 63189 series (refer to IEC webstore for full list).
IEC TS 63189-2:2023 is a practical resource for anyone specifying, implementing or regulating VPP solutions and seeking harmonized, interoperable approaches to DER aggregation and smart-grid integration.