Coordinated operation of water and electricity distribution networks with variable renewable energy and distribution locational marginal pricing

Abstract Water and electricity distribution networks are two highly interdependent and critical infrastructures in the world today. This paper investigates the coupling of water and electricity distribution networks through the electrical energy demand of water pumps. Further, with additional variable renewable energy (VRE) sources in the distribution system, utilities face significant challenges stemming from the VRE stochasticity. In this paper, a coordinated operational model of urban water and electricity distribution networks is proposed. Stochastic VRE generation is handled by using a data-driven probability efficient point (PEP) method based on historical wind and solar datasets without the need for any probability distribution function. Case studies are performed on a modified Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 13-node electricity distribution network coupled with a 10-node water distribution network, typical of a small-town setting. Results show the impact of coordinating water and energy networks on the cost of operation and the distribution locational marginal prices (DLMPs). The inclusion of water tanks as alternative storage devices in the electricity distribution network are shown to slightly reduce voltage violations, line congestion, and VRE curtailments in a case with high VRE penetration.