Efficient Microgrid Management System for Electricity Distribution in Emerging Regions

Abstract-In this paper we describe the motivations and design process for our open-source, low-power, and high-accuracy AC power meters suitable for several different off-grid metering applications. The described metering and switching hardware is more power efficient than off-the-shelf systems with equivalent capability while being able to measure much smaller loads accurately. The metering system we've developed is suitable for monitoring up to a collection of 20 circuits each drawing power as low as 1W up to 500W as is often found in a rural microgrid setting. Created with modularity in mind, the software and hardware design can easily be modified to be used as part of a home-solar power system, an AC micro-grid, or as a meter for each load in a room. The designs and source code will be made publicly available in August of 2012

A review of microgrid development in the United States – A decade of progress on policies, demonstrations, controls, and software tools

Microgrids have become increasingly popular in the United States. Supported by favorable federal and local policies, microgrid projects can provide greater energy stability and resilience within a project site or community. This paper reviews major federal, state, and utility-level policies driving microgrid development in the United States. Representative U.S. demonstration projects are selected and their technical characteristics and non-technical features are introduced. The paper discusses trends in the technology development of microgrid systems as well as microgrid control methods and interactions within the electricity market. Software tools for microgrid design, planning, and performance analysis are illustrated with each tool's core capability. Finally, the paper summarizes the successes and lessons learned during the recent expansion of the U.S. microgrid industry that may serve as a reference for other countries developing their own microgrid industries

Microgrids & District Energy: Pathways To Sustainable Urban Development

A microgrid is an energy system specifically designed to meet some of the energy needs of a group of buildings, a campus, or an entire community. It can include local facilities that generate electricity, heating, and/or cooling; store energy; distribute the energy generated; and manage energy consumption intelligently and in real time. Microgrids enable economies of scale that facilitate local production of energy in ways that can advance cost reduction, sustainability, economic development, and resilience goals. As they often involve multiple stakeholders, and may encompass numerous distinct property boundaries, municipal involvement is often a key factor for successful implementation. This report provides an introduction to microgrid concepts, identifies the benefits and most common road blocks to implementation, and discusses proactive steps municipalities can take to advance economically viable and environmentally superior microgrids. It also offers advocacy suggestions for municipal leaders and officials to pursue at the state and regional level. The contents are targeted to municipal government staff but anyone looking for introductory material on microgrids should find it useful

Assessment of Haiti’s electricity sector

INTRODUCTION: This report summarizes the current state of the electricity sector in Haiti, to form a knowledge base from which to subsequently evaluate options for how best to increase electricity access in Haiti. Accordingly, this report summarizes the results of an extensive review of the publicly-available information on the electricity sector in Haiti, supplemented by targeted interviews with selected individuals known to be knowledgeable about electricity in Haiti based on their recent involvement in assessing the sector or in pursuing/supporting development opportunities. [TRUNCATED

Potential Use of DC Microgrid for Solar and Wind Power Integration in Rural Areas in India: a Review

This paper describes the possibilities of the application of DC microgrids to solve the rural areas, energy problem in the country (India). DC Microgrids open a gateway for integration of solar and wind energies which together are an efficient and cleaner way of renewable energy generation, which can be integrated into the power distribution network. They have several other advantages, which include - reduction in transmission losses, improvement in power quality & reliability, reduction in emissions and even they are cost effective. The most important characteristic is that it provides a possibility for electrification of remote villages, which are far from the reach of the conventional grid. This paper presents a detailed discussion on the possibility of application of DC microgrids for rural areas in India

The Microgrid Systems: An Overview in Turkey and The World

Necessity and important of electric energy has been on increase because of development in technology and economy. When compared with renewable energy sources, electric energy obtained from fossil fuels has the biggest share. But demand to renewable energy sources has been increased instead of fossil fuels due to carbon dioxide emissions, risk of being used up over and above high energy cost. Distributed energy sources (wind energy, solar energy, fuel cell, etc.) can be installed to close areas to consumers. So distributed energy sources with microgrid design can be used as cost effective, reliable and efficient. Microgrids are small scale energy network that can provide uninterrupted energy with high power quality to different types small load community and can meet technological preferences of consumers so power quality demand. Microgrid systems in interconnected to distribution grid or islanded mode; obtain coordinated operation of energy sources (micro turbines, fuel cells, photovoltaic, etc), storage devices (flywheels, energy capacitors and batteries) and loads. In this study, potential of microgrid system in Turkey and world, technological development at microgrid systems and usage state of these technologies in Turkey and world were evaluated. It was exhibited that attaching importance to microgrid systems provides increment in usage of renewable energy