Title: An Incentive-Based Online Optimization Framework for Distribution Grids,
Abstract: This paper formulates a time-varying social-welfare maximization problem for
distribution grids with distributed energy resources (DERs) and develops online
distributed algorithms to identify (and track) its solutions. In the considered
setting, network operator and DER-owners pursue given operational and economic
objectives, while concurrently ensuring that voltages are within prescribed
limits. The proposed algorithm affords an online implementation to enable
tracking of the solutions in the presence of time-varying operational
conditions and changing optimization objectives. It involves a strategy where
the network operator collects voltage measurements throughout the feeder to
build incentive signals for the DER-owners in real time; DERs then adjust the
generated/consumed powers in order to avoid the violation of the voltage
constraints while maximizing given objectives. The stability of the proposed
schemes is analytically established and numerically corroborated.