Wireless communication for controlling microgrids: Co-simulation and performance evaluation

A microgrid with wireless communication links for microgrid control has been designed and developed. The complete simulation model has been developed in MatLab SimuLink with seamless integration of the power subsystem and the communication subsystem. Unlike the conventional co-simulators that usually connect two existing simulators together by creating an interface, which has a steep learning curve, the proposed simulator is a compact single-unit model. Detailed modeling of the power subsystem and communication system is presented as well as the microgrid control architecture and strategies. The impact of different communication system performances on microgrid control has been studied and evaluated in the proposed simulator. The results help identify the cost effective communication solutions for microgrid applications.