Long-term optimal operation of micro-grid with micro-hydropower and energy storage

Micro-grid can either be interconnected with power grid or be disconnected and operate independently. Although there are many micro-hydro units in China, most of them are connected to the feeder of 10kV or below. So when a shortage of power occurs, and the feeder has to be pulled out, micro-hydro units connected to the feeder will fail to supply power, resulting in lack of electricity and a large amount of surplus water. This paper proposes to solve this problem by establishing micro-grids containing micro-hydropower, feeder loads, and a certain amount of storage facilities. In this paper, a long-term optimal operation model of micro-grid with micro-hydropower and energy storage devices is established. The type and capacity of storage facilities in the micro-grid are discussed. Finally the numerical example based on local feeder load and micro hydro units´ data shows validity and effectiveness of the proposed model.