A MPC Strategy for the Optimal Management of Microgrids Based on Evolutionary Optimization

In this paper, a novel model predictive control strategy, with a 24-h prediction horizon, is proposed to reduce the operational cost of microgrids. To overcome the complexity of the optimization problems arising from the operation of the microgrid at each step, an adaptive evolutionary strategy with a satisfactory trade-off between exploration and exploitation capabilities was added to the model predictive control. The proposed strategy was evaluated using a representative microgrid that includes a wind turbine, a photovoltaic plant, a microturbine, a diesel engine, and an energy storage system. The achieved results demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach, outperforming a global scheduling planner-based on a genetic algorithm by 14.2% in terms of operational cost. In addition, the proposed approach also better manages the use of the energy storage system.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad DPI2016-75294-C2-2-RUnión Europea (Programa Horizonte 2020) 76409

Distributed MPC for coordinated energy efficiency utilization in microgrid systems

To improve the renewable energy utilization of distributed microgrid systems, this paper presents an optimal distributed model predictive control strategy to coordinate energy management among microgrid systems. In particular, through information exchange among systems, each microgrid in the network, which includes renewable generation, storage systems, and some controllable loads, can maintain its own systemwide supply and demand balance. With our mechanism, the closed-loop stability of the distributed microgrid systems can be guaranteed. In addition, we provide evaluation criteria of renewable energy utilization to validate our proposed method. Simulations show that the supply demand balance in each microgrid is achieved while, at the same time, the system operation cost is reduced, which demonstrates the effectiveness and efficiency of our proposed policy.Accepted manuscrip

Smart Microgrids: Overview and Outlook

The idea of changing our energy system from a hierarchical design into a set of nearly independent microgrids becomes feasible with the availability of small renewable energy generators. The smart microgrid concept comes with several challenges in research and engineering targeting load balancing, pricing, consumer integration and home automation. In this paper we first provide an overview on these challenges and present approaches that target the problems identified. While there exist promising algorithms for the particular field, we see a missing integration which specifically targets smart microgrids. Therefore, we propose an architecture that integrates the presented approaches and defines interfaces between the identified components such as generators, storage, smart and \dq{dumb} devices.Comment: presented at the GI Informatik 2012, Braunschweig Germany, Smart Grid Worksho

Optimization of the operation of smart rural grids through a novel rnergy management system

The paper proposes an innovative Energy Management System (EMS) that optimizes the grid operation based on economic and technical criteria. The EMS inputs the demand and renewable generation forecasts, electricity prices and the status of the distributed storages through the network, and solves with an optimal quarter-hourly dispatch for controllable resources. The performance of the EMS is quantified through diverse proposed metrics. The analyses were based on a real rural grid from the European FP7 project Smart Rural Grid. The performance of the EMS has been evaluated through some scenarios varying the penetration of distributed generation. The obtained results demonstrate that the inclusion of the EMS from both a technical point of view and an economic perspective for the adopted grid is justified. At the technical level, the inclusion of the EMS permits us to significantly increase the power quality in weak and radial networks. At the economic level and from a certain threshold value in renewables’ penetration, the EMS reduces the energy costs for the grid participants, minimizing imports from the external grid and compensating the toll to be paid in the form of the losses incurred by including additional equipment in the network (i.e., distributed storage).Postprint (published version

Review of trends and targets of complex systems for power system optimization

Optimization systems (OSs) allow operators of electrical power systems (PS) to optimally operate PSs and to also create optimal PS development plans. The inclusion of OSs in the PS is a big trend nowadays, and the demand for PS optimization tools and PS-OSs experts is growing. The aim of this review is to define the current dynamics and trends in PS optimization research and to present several papers that clearly and comprehensively describe PS OSs with characteristics corresponding to the identified current main trends in this research area. The current dynamics and trends of the research area were defined on the basis of the results of an analysis of the database of 255 PS-OS-presenting papers published from December 2015 to July 2019. Eleven main characteristics of the current PS OSs were identified. The results of the statistical analyses give four characteristics of PS OSs which are currently the most frequently presented in research papers: OSs for minimizing the price of electricity/OSs reducing PS operation costs, OSs for optimizing the operation of renewable energy sources, OSs for regulating the power consumption during the optimization process, and OSs for regulating the energy storage systems operation during the optimization process. Finally, individual identified characteristics of the current PS OSs are briefly described. In the analysis, all PS OSs presented in the observed time period were analyzed regardless of the part of the PS for which the operation was optimized by the PS OS, the voltage level of the optimized PS part, or the optimization goal of the PS OS.Web of Science135art. no. 107