Coordinated Operation Strategy of Vehicle-to-Grid and Virtual Power Plant Based on Stackelberg Game

With the continuous growth in electricity demand and the rapid development of distributed energy resources, traditional centralized power systems are facing challenges such as low operational efficiency and poor responsiveness to emergencies. Meanwhile, conventional centralized optimization methods fall short in capturing the complex interactions among multiple agents. In this context, this paper proposes an optimal operation strategy for a Virtual Power Plant (VPP) based on a Stackelberg game, leveraging the coordination capabilities of the VPP platform. First, the paper elaborates on the operating mechanism of the VPP and develops mathematical models for all involved stakeholders, analyzing their game-theoretic relationships in detail. Then, these relationships are embedded into a Stackelberg game model to construct a comprehensive theoretical framework. Finally, a hybrid approach combining heuristic algorithms and commercial solvers is used to solve a case study, resulting in optimal dispatch strategies for all parties. The results demonstrate that the proposed method achieves a balanced benefit distribution among the VPP operator, energy device operators, and load aggregators, thus validating the effectiveness of the approach.