Microgrids Control Issues

International audienceChapter 2 = Introduction - Control Functions - The Role of Information and Communication Technology - Microgrid Control Architecture - Centralized and Decentralized Control - Forecasting - Centralized Control - Decentralized Control - State Estimation - Conclusions. Book description : Microgrids are the most innovative area in the electric power industry today. Future microgrids could exist as energy-balanced cells within existing power distribution grids or stand-alone power networks within small communities. A definitive presentation on all aspects of microgrids, this text examines the operation of microgrids - their control concepts and advanced architectures including multi-microgrids. It takes a logical approach to overview the purpose and the technical aspects of microgrids, discussing the social, economic and environmental benefits to power system operation. The book also presents microgrid design and control issues, including protection and explaining how to implement centralized and decentralized control strategies

Feed-in tariffs for promotion of energy storage technologies

Faster market integration of new energy technologies can be achieved by use of proper support mechanisms that will create favourable market conditions for such technologies. The best examples of support mechanisms presented in the last two decades have been the various schemes for the promotion of renewable energy sources (RES). In the EU, the most successful supporting schemes are feed-in tariffs which have significantly increased utilisation of renewable energy sources in Germany, Spain, Portugal, Denmark and many other EU countries. Despite the successful feed-in tariffs for RES promotion, in many cases RES penetration is limited by power system requirements linked to the intermittency of RES sources and technical capabilities of grids. These problems can be solved by implementation of energy storage technologies like reversible or pumped hydro, hydrogen, batteries or any other technology that can be used for balancing or dump load. In this paper, feed-in tariffs for various energy storage technologies are discussed along with a proposal for their application in more appropriate regions. After successful application on islands and outermost regions, energy storage tariffs should be also applied in mainland power systems. Increased use of energy storage could optimise existing assets on the market.Feed-in tariffs Energy storage Renewable energy sources

Management of microgrids in market environment

2005 International Conference on Future Power SystemsInternational audienceRestructuring of power markets has helped in the penetration of Distributed Generation (DG) in the electricity networks. Microgrids are Low Voltage distribution networks comprising various distributed generators (DG), storage devices and controllable loads that can operate interconnected or isolated from the main distribution grid, as a controlled entity. This paper describes the main functions of the Microgrid Central Controller required for the optimization of Microgrid operation its interconnected operation. This is achieved by maximizing its value, i.e. optimizing production of the local DGs and power exchanges with the main distribution grid

Review of best practices of solar electricity resources applications in selected Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries

Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries present abundant solar potential, which to some extent has been exploited for electricity production. However, the largest part of this potential remains still unexploited. The scope of this paper is to present the best practices in exploiting solar energy in selected MENA countries. First the general structure of energy market related to Renewable Energy Sources (RES) for each analyzed country is presented. Then the exploitation of solar energy via PVs with special focus to the achievements in rural electrification, which could be used as a paradigm for other countries with similar problems, is displayed. MENA countries are promising for the wide application of concentrating solar plants (CSP), as recent research has shown, and some interesting applications in this area, also presented in this paper, have started being implemented.Distributed energy resources Photovoltaic (PV) Renewable energy sources (RES) Concentrating solar power Power systems MENA countries