Distribution Utility start of timeslot

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Once a Customer has run its model and sent its CustomerTimeslotComplete message, the Distribution Utility can query the TariffSubscription instances for that Customer to retrieve the meter reading data, which will be in the form of one or more TariffTransaction instances. Once all the Customers have finished and reported their results, the Distribution Utility has to take the following actions, in sequence:

Compute overall balance

This is done by adding up all the Broker positions in the wholesale market for the current timeslot, and subtracting the total net consumption represented by the set of TariffTransaction instances for the current timeslot.

Run the Balancing Market

The balancing market must satisfy three goals:

1. The total net power consumption must sum to zero once the market is settled.
2. Every broker that has a surplus (has a net positive balance) must either have controllable production resources reduced, or must be paid for its surplus at a rate determined by the market settlement process.
3. Every broker that has a deficit (a net negative balance) must either have controllable loads reduced, or must pay for the additional power needed.

The Balancing Market must be a separate plugin component, because a goal of the project is to test alternative market mechanisms. The result of running the market is a set of financial transactions against the individual Brokers, and a set of balancing actions against individual TariffSubscriptions.

Update summer 2012: The current implementation of the balancing market is integrated with the DU, but could be split out.

Post financial transactions

There are two types of transactions that must be posted, to be processed by the Accounting Service:

1. For each Broker, there is the financial outcome of the Balancing market for the current timeslot.
2. For each TariffSubscription, there are the original TariffTransaction(s), possibly modified by a balancing action resulting from the Balancing market. In general, there will also be signup bonus and withdrawal penalties to process. This information is accessible through the TariffSubscription.

Notify brokers

Brokers must receive their Balancing actions and associated transactions.