9. Maximization of the Utility Function, Time-Dependent Energy Allocation, and Fuzzy-Logic Resource-Allocation Models

Today’s and tomorrow’s smart-grid systems are made more efficient, cleaner, and reliable with “smart” control mechanisms and decision models that deliver information to consumers so that they can better manage energy resources. The rapidly changing needs and opportunities of today’s electric-grid market require unprecedented levels of inter-operability in order to integrate diverse information systems to share knowledge and to collaborate among the grid’s sub-devices or sub-systems. This chapter focuses on the optimal mathematical models for resource allocation. A series of mathematical models is presented for solving large-scale energy-allocation problems with partially observable states, utility functions and constrained action is introduced. The techniques use a linear-programming (LP) approach to determine resource allocations among a set of fuzzy rules that allocate Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) or power sources/sinks and uses to determine improved resource management.