The advanced microgrid. Integration and interoperability

Abstract

This white paper focuses on "advanced microgrids," but sections do, out of necessity, reference today's commercially available systems and installations in order to clearly distinguish the differences and advances. Advanced microgrids have been identified as being a necessary part of the modern electrical grid through a two DOE microgrid workshops, 1 ' 2 the National Institute of Standards and Technology, 3 Smart Grid Interoperability Panel and other related sources. With their grid-interconnectivity advantages, advanced microgrids will improve system 4 energy efficiency and reliability and provide enabling technologies for grid-independence to end-user sites. One popular definition that has been evolved and is used in multiple references is that a microgrid is a group of interconnected loads and distributed-energy resources within clearly defined electrical boundaries that acts as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid. A microgrid can connect and disconnect from the grid to enable it to operate in both grid-connected or island-mode. Further, an advanced microgrid can then be loosely defined as a dynamic microgrid. The value of microgrids to protect the nation's electrical grid from power outages is becoming increasingly important in the face of the increased frequency and intensity of events caused by severe weather. Advanced microgrids will serve to mitigate power

Economics of interoperability in the context of smart grid architectures

“…A common reason for choosing to self-supply a key input can be that the existing markets or other allocative mechanisms fail to offer the good or service, either entirely or in the form or variety desired. 79 The choice of transacting partner can factor prominently into the decision of whether to self-supply. Individual organizations have different internal requirements and preferences that impact not only what they are capable of doing for self, but who they are willing and able to do business with.…”

“…College campuses [73], large commercial and industrial facilities [74], 78 Early electric grids in the United States and elsewhere were disconnected from each other and self-supply was more a fact of technological and economic constraints rather than a result of some conscientious choice between alternatives. 79 When specific pieces of equipment needed for lab experiments at NIST do not exist on the market, or cannot be sourced within temporal or budget constraints, engineers and scientists occasionally use on-site 3D printing capabilities to fabricate their own solutions. 80 Encoded in these hierarchies are the constraints, expectations, and codes which form the feasibility envelope.…”

“…As outlined in the DOE definition, microgrids are composed of many varied elements. "Advanced hardware, intelligent inverters, smart controllers, and compatible communications will be the enabling technology mix used to maximize a microgrid system's economic and operational benefits" [79]. Most microgrids are not completely isolated, but rather are connected to the larger electric power system (EPS) through their point of common coupling (PCC).…”

Global trends in the political economy of smart grids: A tailored perspective on ‘smart’ for grids in transition

“…Micro grids are grids that incorporate IT to optimize local production with consumption and eventually enable operations in both disconnected and connected mode. The main motives for those projects are reliability and energy independence especially in cases of severe weather events (Bower 2014).…”

Efficient Model Predictive Control Strategies for Resource Management in an Islanded Microgrid

“…A microgrid may enter islanded mode operation by disconnecting from the main grid and maintaining power balance locally, or it may connect to other microgrids. Exploiting flexible distributed architectures may offer the opportunity to increase overall power system resiliency and reliability of available energy for critical loads [2,3].…”