Energy Sharing Management for Microgrids with PV Prosumers: A Stackelberg Game Approach

For microgrids with photovoltaic (PV) prosumers, the effective energy sharing management (ESM) is important for the operation. In this paper, a Stackelberg game approach for ESM is proposed. First, according to feed-in-tariff of PV energy, a system model of ESM is introduced, which includes the profit model of microgrid operator (MGO) and the utility model of PV prosumers. Moreover, an hour-ahead optimal pricing model of ESM is proposed. The model is designed based on Stackelberg game, where the MGO acts as the leader and all participating prosumers are considered as the followers. With the proof of equilibrium and uniqueness of the Stackelberg equilibrium, the MGO is obligated to coordinate the sharing of PV energy with maximization of the own profit, while the prosumers are autonomous to maximize their utilities with demand response availability. Finally, a billing mechanism is designed to deal with the uncertainty of PV energy and load consumption. By using the collected data from realistic PV-roofed buildings, the effectiveness of the model is verified in terms of the profit of MGO, the utilities of prosumers, and the net energy of the microgrid.