A Profitability Analysis for an Aggregator in the Ancillary Services Market: An Italian Case Study

Abstract

The integration of renewable energy sources into the energy system requires both new investment in network infrastructures, and the introduction of new models of energy management. In this framework, new structures of collaborations were born: the aggregator is one of them. It involves grouping different players of the power system, acting, however, as a single entity both when it participates in the electricity markets and sells services to the operator. In this work, a new methodology to determine the optimal revenue of a Unità Virtuali Abilitate Miste (UVAM), which is an Italian virtual energy unit managed by an aggregator, is proposed. The methodology is articulated in several steps, the core of which is represented by the two models: (1) a cost–benefit analysis in order to identify the main costs/benefits that impact on the UVAM’ revenues; and (2) a decision-making model based on the sensitive analysis to capture the optimal interaction between users and aggregator. The results show how, on varying the parameter costs depending on the aggregator-users’ strategy, it is possible to obtain different optimal “working-points”. Finally, the analysis identifies two main cost factors that impact on the optimal revenue: the Energy Management Platform and the Communication costs, confirming the importance of these parameters in the general economy of UVAM.