Distributed Reinforcement Learning for the Management of a Smart Grid Interconnecting Independent Prosumers

Abstract

In the context of an eco-responsible production and distribution of electrical energy at the local scale of an urban territory, we consider a smart grid as a system interconnecting different prosumers, which all retain their decision-making autonomy and defend their own interests in a comprehensive system where the rules, accepted by all, encourage virtuous behavior. In this paper, we present and analyze a model and a management method for smart grids that is shared between different kinds of independent actors, who respect their own interests, and that encourages each actor to behavior that allows, as much as possible, an energy independence of the smart grid from external energy suppliers. We consider here a game theory model, in which each actor of the smart grid is a player, and we investigate distributed machine-learning algorithms to allow decision-making, thus, leading the game to converge to stable situations, in particular to a Nash equilibrium. We propose a Linear Reward Inaction algorithm that achieves Nash equilibria most of the time, both for a single time slot and across time, allowing the smart grid to maximize its energy independence from external energy suppliers.

Keywords

• reinforcement learning
• game theory
• Nash equilibria
• smart grid
• energy management
• energy optimization