Integrated Scheduling of Electric Vehicles and Demand Response Programs in a Smart Microgrid

Microgrids (MGs) usually consist of several types of Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) like renewable and conventional generation units, energy storages and responsive loads. In order to operate the MG with minimum cost and maximum reliably, an integrated scheduling model of DERs should be implemented. In this paper, an operational planning model of a MG which considers Demand Response (DR) and Electric Vehicles (EVs) charge/discharge programs are proposed. The proposed methodology investigates the potential role of EVs and DR in providing reserve capacity for a MG with a high contribution from variable generation such as wind and solar power. The novelty of this paper is the demand side participation in energy and reserve scheduling, simultaneously. The proposed model was tested on a typical MG system in connected mode and the results show that integrated scheduling of EVs and DR programs will reduce total operation cost of MG and cause more efficient use of resources.