Controlling a wind power plant based on operating commands received from a distributed system across a communications network

Abstract

The invention provides a method for controlling a wind power plant that receive operating command requests via a distributed system comprising a plurality of subsystems each associated with a respective party capable of issuing requests. One subsystem generates a request to operate the wind power plant in accordance with a defined operating command desired by the associated party. The request is broadcast to each of the other subsystems to approve or disapprove the requests. Each subsystem broadcasts to the other subsystems if it approves the request, and each subsystem maintains a database including a record of which subsystems have approved the request. The wind power plant is controlled based on which subsystems have approved the request, where at least one subsystem other than the subsystem that generates the request needs to have approved the request before the plant implements the defined operating command.