Electricity Network Scenarios for Great Britain in 2050

The next fifty years are likely to see great developments in the technologies deployed in electricity systems, with consequent changes in the structure and operation of power networks. This paper, which forms a chapter in the forthcoming book Future Electricity Technologies and Systems, develops and presents six possible future electricity industry scenarios for Great Britain, focussed on the year 2050. The paper draws upon discussions of important technologies presented by expert authors in other chapters of the book to consider the impact of different combinations of key influences on the nature of the power system in 2050. For each scenario there is a discussion of the effects of the key parameters, with a description and pictorial illustration. Summary tables identify the role of the technologies presented in other chapters of the book, and list important figures of interest, such as the capacity and energy production of renewable generation technologies

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

Load Balancing with Energy Storage Systems Based on Co-Simulation of Multiple Smart Buildings and Distribution Networks

In this paper, we present a co-simulation framework that combines two main simulation tools, one that provides detailed multiple building energy simulation ability with Energy-Plus being the core engine, and the other one that is a distribution level simulator, Matpower. Such a framework can be used to develop and study district level optimization techniques that exploit the interaction between a smart electric grid and buildings as well as the interaction between buildings themselves to achieve energy and cost savings and better energy management beyond what one can achieve through techniques applied at the building level only. We propose a heuristic algorithm to do load balancing in distribution networks affected by service restoration activities. Balancing is achieved through the use of utility directed usage of battery energy storage systems (BESS). This is achieved through demand response (DR) type signals that the utility communicates to individual buildings. We report simulation results on two test cases constructed with a 9-bus distribution network and a 57-bus distribution network, respectively. We apply the proposed balancing heuristic and show how energy storage systems can be used for temporary relief of impacted networks

Control and Communication Protocols that Enable Smart Building Microgrids

Recent communication, computation, and technology advances coupled with climate change concerns have transformed the near future prospects of electricity transmission, and, more notably, distribution systems and microgrids. Distributed resources (wind and solar generation, combined heat and power) and flexible loads (storage, computing, EV, HVAC) make it imperative to increase investment and improve operational efficiency. Commercial and residential buildings, being the largest energy consumption group among flexible loads in microgrids, have the largest potential and flexibility to provide demand side management. Recent advances in networked systems and the anticipated breakthroughs of the Internet of Things will enable significant advances in demand response capabilities of intelligent load network of power-consuming devices such as HVAC components, water heaters, and buildings. In this paper, a new operating framework, called packetized direct load control (PDLC), is proposed based on the notion of quantization of energy demand. This control protocol is built on top of two communication protocols that carry either complete or binary information regarding the operation status of the appliances. We discuss the optimal demand side operation for both protocols and analytically derive the performance differences between the protocols. We propose an optimal reservation strategy for traditional and renewable energy for the PDLC in both day-ahead and real time markets. In the end we discuss the fundamental trade-off between achieving controllability and endowing flexibility

An Evolutionary Computational Approach for the Problem of Unit Commitment and Economic Dispatch in Microgrids under Several Operation Modes

In the last decades, new types of generation technologies have emerged and have been gradually integrated into the existing power systems, moving their classical architectures to distributed systems. Despite the positive features associated to this paradigm, new problems arise such as coordination and uncertainty. In this framework, microgrids constitute an effective solution to deal with the coordination and operation of these distributed energy resources. This paper proposes a Genetic Algorithm (GA) to address the combined problem of Unit Commitment (UC) and Economic Dispatch (ED). With this end, a model of a microgrid is introduced together with all the control variables and physical constraints. To optimally operate the microgrid, three operation modes are introduced. The first two attend to optimize economical and environmental factors, while the last operation mode considers the errors induced by the uncertainties in the demand forecasting. Therefore, it achieves a robust design that guarantees the power supply for different confidence levels. Finally, the algorithm was applied to an example scenario to illustrate its performance. The achieved simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades TEC2016-80242-PMinisterio de Economía y Competitividad PCIN-2015-043Universidad de Sevilla Programa propio de I+D+

IMPROVING ENERGY EFFICIENCY IN BUILDINGS USING MICROGRIDS

Modern society has a growing need for the electricity. To protect the environment, future energy demand must be met with more environmentally friendly technologies, such as renewable energy sources. Because of its vast availability, solar radiation has been used for decades to generate electricity through photovoltaic systems (PV) for residential, educational, and commercial buildings. However, the growth of distributed generation (and renewable energy sources) across power systems in industrialized countries has created new challenges. Random renewable generation causes an imbalance between electricity production and consumption, so smart grids and microgrids may be solutions. In this article, we investigate improving the energy efficiency in the Faculty of Electrical Engineering building in Osijek by using a microgrid. To do so, we compared the total electricity consumption of the building and the production of a 10 kWp photovoltaic power plant on that building. The improvement in energy efficiency of the building produced a maximum savings of up to 10% of the building’s total electricity consumption

Breaking Barriers to Renewable Energy Production in the North American Arctic

As climate change continues to affect our lives, the communities at the northern extremes of our world have witnessed the changes most profoundly. In the Arctic, where climate change is melting permafrost and causing major shoreline erosion, remote communities in Alaska and northern Canada are particularly vulnerable. Furthermore, these communities have limited access to electrical grids and bear oppressive energy costs relying on diesel generators. While some communities have started to incorporate renewable energy into their hamlets and villages, progress has generally been limited with the notable exception of Canada’s Northwest Territories and some coastal communities in western Alaska. During its latest stint as chair of the Arctic Council, the United States outlined community renewable energy in the Arctic as one of its primary goals. This Note focuses on regulatory and practical policy solutions to make that goal possible. It draws on examples from industrialized countries, such as Canada and the United Kingdom, as well as examples from developing countries, such as India and Peru, to examine solutions for the technical, economic, regulatory, and community engagement problems that Arctic communities in Alaska face when setting up new energy projects. Additionally, this Note describes the current political structure of Alaskan villages under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and argues that Alaska Native Corporations should play a role in developing clean, cheap energy sources for their shareholders. Finally, this Note argues that public-private partnerships, like the non-profit Arctic Energy Alliance in the Northwest Territories, shows that clean, renewable energy projects for rural Arctic villages are possible throughout the Arctic. This Note draws lessons from other communities throughout the world and attempts to apply them to the unique situations that remote northern Alaska communities face regarding access to clean, renewable energy

Optimization of Renewable Energy Sources in the Development of a Military Microgrid at Indonesia Defense University

The availability of electricity is crucial for the smooth operation and administration of any institution, including the Republic of Indonesia Defense University. This study aims to investigate the implementation of the Military Microgrid, an innovative concept developed to increase the development of renewable energy sources for defense agencies. The researchers employed a qualitative approach, conducting interviews and gathering data from various sources, including relevant laws and regulations. Implementing the Military Microgrid system at the Indonesia Defense University presents a practical and sustainable solution to meet the university's electricity demands while promoting environmental sustainability. The initiative aligns with the Indonesian government's renewable energy goals and can serve as a promising solution for other institutions to follow. This concept has facilitated the exploration of environmentally friendly energy sources from nature, such as solar, water, waste, and biomass. The Military Microgrid is an effective solution to meet the demand for electricity in defense agencies while promoting the use of renewable energy sources. The implementation of Law No. 23 of 2019 concerning the Management of National Defense Resources has provided a legal framework for developing and implementing this innovative concept. This study highlights the importance of exploring and utilizing renewable energy sources to meet the growing demand for electricity in institutions especially military and defense institutions