Energy-efficient scheduling of low-carbon heterogeneous energy-integrated virtual power plants with 5G base station energy storage participation

• Low-carbon heterogeneous energy interactive architecture considering energy storage of 5G base station. • Refined demand response models for load and base station energy storage. • Utilization method for virtual energy storage of cooling and heating loads considering user comfort. • 5G base station energy storage operation strategy satisfying reliability and its comprehensive benefit analysis. To effectively reduce carbon emission and increase renewable utilization, it is necessary to further explore multi-energy management methods and fully leverage existing facilities. The complementary and ladder utilization of different energy flows can yield synergistic effects, achieving a 1 + 1 > 2 outcome. Moreover, effectively leveraging the 5G base stations (BSs) energy storage can provide mutual benefits for both telecommunications operator and virtual power plant (VPP) operator. This paper examines the coupling relationships among heating, cooling, electricity, and gas on both the supply and demand sides, proposing a heterogeneous energy-integrated VPP management framework that incorporates energy storage from 5G BS. Based on this framework, we design a demand-side resource management strategy for VPP that enables the bidirectional flow of electricity and gas loads, encourages BS energy storage participation in scheduling, and effectively utilizes the virtual storage characteristics of cooling and heating loads. Finally, considering the investment costs and lifespan of energy storage, we propose an operational strategy for 5G BS energy storage that ensures reliable power supply while achieving cost recovery. The results show that the proposed method improves energy utilization efficiency while coordinating the economic and low-carbon objectives within the VPP system.