An optimal scheduling method for IES considering virtual energy storage

Integrated energy systems （IES）， characterized by multi-energy complementarity， can enhance energy utilization and improve economic efficiency through effective scheduling. To achieve optimal scheduling for IES， the energy characteristics of heating and cooling system networks are considered， and an energy transport model for these systems is developed. By leveraging the flexibility of heating and cooling loads and the energy storage properties of the thermal networks’ working medium， a virtual energy storage model for the IES， integrating cooling， heating， and power systems， is developed. The heating and cooling systems are integrated as scheduling resources in the system’s optimal operation， with the objective of minimizing daily operational costs. An optimal scheduling method for IES， considering virtual energy storage， is proposed to achieve energy complementarity among the systems. Simulation results demonstrate that this method effectively balances the mismatch between output and load using the virtual energy storage system， responds proactively to time-of-use tariffs， reduces the peak-valley difference in purchased electricity， and significantly lowers the system’s economic costs.