Investigating renewable infeed in residential areas applying model predictive control

The operation and optimization of integrated electricity and natural gas systems is investigated. The couplings between these different infrastructures are modeled by energy hubs, which can convert and store different types of energy. In previous work, the interaction between three interconnected hubs has been analyzed. In order to take into account predicted system behavior and operational constraints, a model predictive control approach is proposed for optimal operation. In this paper, the hubs, representing residential areas, are also connected to a grid. The energy exchange not only between hubs but also between hubs and the grid is investigated. The hubs contain solar PV installations wherewith they have the ability to feed in energy to the grid. Simulations are presented where the proposed scheme is applied to the hub system. Operational costs are compared for system operation with and without renewable infeed.