A reliability framework for generating unit commitment

Operating reserve assessment should become increasingly important in the new utility environment in which system supply services will be assigned a value and purchased in a competitive market. It is therefore important from an educational point of view that students appreciate the techniques and procedures, which are used, and those, which can be used to quantitatively assess operating, reserve requirements. A technique is presented in this paper which provides a reliability framework for unit commitment in an electric power system using well-being analysis. The well-being framework provides the opportunity to consider both deterministic and probabilistic approaches and to appreciate the weaknesses associated with using the deterministic approach or a single risk index. The study results presented can be used to teach basic power system reliability evaluation and assessment. These studies provide a useful pedagogical framework for further development. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.