Architectures for Robust Self-Organizing Energy Systems under Information and Control Constraints

2026-04-23

AI Summary

This work addresses the challenge of achieving robust self-organization in cyber-physical energy systems under information constraints, control limitations, and network-induced disturbances such as cyber attacks. The authors propose an agent-based approach grounded in an observer/controller architecture that integrates controlled self-organization mechanisms with observation-control techniques tailored for limited-information environments. This framework enables controllable self-organization while preserving privacy, ensuring regulatory compliance, and respecting communication constraints. For the first time, the study systematically evaluates multiple architectural designs adapted to such constrained scenarios and demonstrates their effectiveness in significantly enhancing system robustness under realistic operational limitations, thereby providing both theoretical foundations and practical design guidelines for real-world deployment.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Agent Architectures
• Multiagent Systems: Mechanism Design
• Constraint Satisfaction and Optimization: Distributed CSP/Optimization

Application Category

• Systems and Infrastructure for Web, Mobile and WoT: Energy management for devices in mobile Web and WoT environments
• Economics, Online Markets and Human Computation: Incentives in network design for Web infrastructures and ecosystems
• Responsible Web: Machine-in-the-loop, human agency and autonomy

Abstract

Applying the concept of controlled self-organization in agent-based Cyber-Physical Energy Systems (CPES) is a promising approach to ensure system robustness. By introducing an observer/controller architecture to the system, this concept allows for self-organization while still enabling intervention when disturbances occur. Thus, it is possible to respond to effects of cyber attacks, a major threat to current energy systems. However, when implementing an observer to monitor the system and a controller to execute actions for controlled self-organization in CPES, it is essential to take into account restrictions on information and actions resulting from the privacy of local distributed energy resources, regulatory constraints, and data exchange requirements. For this reason, this paper presents architecture variants for the observer and controller that take into account restrictions on access to information and limited actions. In addition, it evaluates possible controller actions in various architectures. The results underscore the importance of considering observer/controller architectures when designing agent-based systems to ensure their robustness for real-world applications.

Problem

• self-organization
• Cyber-Physical Energy Systems
• robustness
• information constraints
• control constraints

Innovation

• controlled self-organization
• Cyber-Physical Energy Systems
• observer/controller architecture
• information constraints
• robustness