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Volume 13
Issue 12
10.3390/pr13124023
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This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Article

Enhancing Distribution Network Flexibility via Adjustable Carbon Emission Factors and Negative-Carbon Incentive Mechanism

by
Hualei Zou
1,
Qiang Xing
1,
Hao Fu
2,
Tengfei Zhang
3,*,
Yu Chen
1 and
Jian Zhu
2
1
College of Automation, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
2
Guodian Nanjing Automation Co., Ltd., Nanjing 210032, China
3
Graduate College, Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing 210023, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Processes 2025, 13(12), 4023; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13124023
Submission received: 20 November 2025 / Revised: 6 December 2025 / Accepted: 10 December 2025 / Published: 12 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Optimal Operation of Modern Power Systems for Flexibility Enhancement)
Versions Notes

Abstract

With increasing penetration of distributed renewable energy sources (RES) in distribution networks, spatiotemporal mismatches arise between static time-of-use (TOU) pricing and real-time carbon emission factors. This misalignment hinders demand-side flexibility deployment, potentially increasing high-carbon-period consumption and impeding low-carbon operations. To address this, the paper proposes an adjustable carbon emission factor (ADCEF) which decouples electricity from carbon liability using storage. The strategy leverages energy storage for carbon responsibility time-shifting to build a dynamic ADCEF model, introducing a negative-carbon incentive mechanism which quantifies the value of surplus renewables. A revenue feedback mechanism couples ADCEF with electricity prices, forming dynamic price troughs during high-RES periods to guide flexible resources toward coordinated peak shaving, valley filling, and low-carbon responses. Validated on a modified IEEE 33-bus system across multiple scenarios, the strategy shifts resources to carbon-negative periods, achieving 100% on-site excess RES utilization in high-penetration scenarios and, compared to traditional TOU approaches, a 27.9% emission reduction and 8.3% revenue increase.
Keywords: active distribution network; adjustable carbon emission factor; bi-level optimization; flexibility enhancement; negative-carbon incentive active distribution network; adjustable carbon emission factor; bi-level optimization; flexibility enhancement; negative-carbon incentive

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MDPI and ACS Style

Zou, H.; Xing, Q.; Fu, H.; Zhang, T.; Chen, Y.; Zhu, J. Enhancing Distribution Network Flexibility via Adjustable Carbon Emission Factors and Negative-Carbon Incentive Mechanism. Processes 2025, 13, 4023. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13124023

AMA Style

Zou H, Xing Q, Fu H, Zhang T, Chen Y, Zhu J. Enhancing Distribution Network Flexibility via Adjustable Carbon Emission Factors and Negative-Carbon Incentive Mechanism. Processes. 2025; 13(12):4023. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13124023

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zou, Hualei, Qiang Xing, Hao Fu, Tengfei Zhang, Yu Chen, and Jian Zhu. 2025. "Enhancing Distribution Network Flexibility via Adjustable Carbon Emission Factors and Negative-Carbon Incentive Mechanism" Processes 13, no. 12: 4023. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13124023

APA Style

Zou, H., Xing, Q., Fu, H., Zhang, T., Chen, Y., & Zhu, J. (2025). Enhancing Distribution Network Flexibility via Adjustable Carbon Emission Factors and Negative-Carbon Incentive Mechanism. Processes, 13(12), 4023. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13124023

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