A service-based approach toward management of grid-tied microgrids

This paper presents an energy management framework in which various services can be delivered by a microgrid to the utility. A service is defined in terms of an adjustment in power flow profile at the point of common coupling that should be enforced during the service period. A microgrid equipped with a diverse set of generations, storage units, and flexible demands can provide a range of services for reliable and economic operation of the grid. A multi-objective optimization approach is used to formulate the energy management problem based on service definition and operational cost of a microgrid. It is shown that a set of Pareto optimal solutions can be calculated for operation of a microgrid during each service period. Simulation results for two case studies related to peak shaving and minimum power fluctuation services are presented and discussed to verify the proposed approach.