A Bottom-Up Approach to Optimizing the Solar Organic Rankine Cycle for Transactive Energy Trading
Silvia Anna Cordieri, Chiara Bordin, Sambeet Mishra
TL;DR
The paper investigates the value of integrating Solar-ORC power generation with storage within a P2P transactive energy trading framework for renewable-based microgrids. It develops two MILP models: a Solar-ORC scheduling model (S-ORC) with detailed energy balances and battery degradation, and a Transactive Energy Trading model (TET) for P2P market clearing among prosumers, implemented in Julia/JuMP and solved with Gurobi. Through extensive sensitivity analyses across working fluids, plant sizes, solar collector technologies, and locations (Bologna and Tromsø), the approach demonstrates an average operational-cost reduction of about 16% when applying the TET framework, with higher gains in sunnier locales. The results underscore the practical viability of combining Solar-ORC with storage in decentralized energy markets and suggest pathways for integration into open-source energy-system tools and broader optimization studies.
Abstract
Solar Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC)-based power generation plants leverage solar irradiation to produce thermal energy, offering a highly compatible renewable technology due to the alignment between solar irradiation temperatures and ORC operating requirements. Their superior performance compared to steam Rankine cycles in small-scale applications makes them particularly relevant within the smart grid and microgrid contexts. This study explores the role of ORC in peer-to-peer (P2P) energy trading within renewable-based community microgrids, where consumers become prosumers, simultaneously producing and consuming energy while engaging in virtual trading at the distribution system level. Focusing on a microgrid integrating solar ORC with a storage system to meet consumer demand, the paper highlights the importance of combining these technologies with storage to enhance predictability and competitiveness with conventional energy plants, despite management challenges. A methodology based on operations research techniques is developed to optimize system performance. Furthermore, the impact of various technological parameters of the solar ORC on the system's performance is examined. The study concludes by assessing the value of solar ORC within the transactive energy trading framework across different configurations and scenarios. Results demonstrate an average 16\% reduction in operational costs, showcasing the benefits of implementing a predictable and manageable system in P2P transactive energy trading.