A Formal Framework for Modeling Smart Grid Applications: Demand Response Case Study

Smart grid applications belong to a diverse set of technologies, which combine behaviors and actions of all grid actors. Building such application is a challenging task requiring modeling, integrating, and validating different grid aspects efficiently. The design flow should adapt to the grid's requirements ranging from basic appliance functions to complex load scheduling algorithms and their integration's consequences. This paper tackles such challenges by proposing a framework to describe smart grid elements formally along with defining their interactions. The framework provides a smooth way for upgrading grid components independently and evaluate their performance. A case study utilizing an infrastructure of electric vehicles is demonstrated to validate the framework and prove its applicability in modeling smart grid applications. The case study enables a demand response service that provides a solution to the coordinated charging scheduling problem of electric vehicles.