In regions heavily affected by recurrent typhoons, the need for more resilient electricity infrastructure is pressing. This emphasizes the importance of integrating resilience assessment, including incorporating resilience metrics, into the planning process of power distribution systems against any disruptive events. Although standardized metrics exist for assessing distribution system reliability, the absence of formalized resilience metrics hampers informed investments in critical infrastructure such as microgrid development. In this work, a set of resilience metrics is proposed by reconceptualizing reliability metrics. The metrics were formulated to account for both the type of extreme event and its specific impact on loads with varying levels of criticality. The effectiveness of the proposed metrics is demonstrated through a Philippine microgrid case study. A Monte Carlo framework incorporating an extreme event model, component fragility model, and system response model was used to quantify the resilience improvement before and after stand-alone microgrid operation of the power distribution system. Results show that the proposed metrics can effectively evaluate resilience enhancement and highlight the value of a holistic approach of considering critical loads and types of extreme events to strengthen societal and community resilience, making a compelling case for strategic investments in infrastructure upgrades such as microgrids.

Increased utilization of renewable energy (RE) resources is critical in achieving key climate goals by 2050. The intermittent nature of RE, especially solar and wind, however, poses reliability concerns to the utility grid. One way to address this problem is to harmonize the RE resources using spatio-temporal complementarity analysis. Two RE resources are said to be complementary if the lack of one is balanced by the abundance of the other, and vice versa. In this work, solar–wind complementarity was analyzed across the provinces of Kalinga and Apayao, Philippines, which are potential locations for harvesting RE as suggested by the Philippine Department of Energy. Global horizontal irradiance (GHI) and wind speed data sets were obtained from the NASA POWER database and then studied using canonical correlation analysis (CCA), a multivariate statistical technique that finds maximum correlations between time series data. We modified the standard CCA to identify pairs of locations within the region of study with the highest solar–wind complementarity. Results show that the two RE resources exhibit balancing in the resulting locations. By identifying these locations, solar and wind resources in the Philippine islands can be integrated optimally and sustainably, leading to a more stable power and increased utility grid reliability.

Microgrids have emerged as a crucial focus in power engineering and sustainable energy research, with utility-scale microgrids playing a significant role in both developed and developing countries like the Philippines. This study presents a comprehensive framework for utility-scale microgrid planning, emphasizing the sustainable integration of renewable energy resources to the distribution grid. The framework addresses the operational modes of grid-connected and islanded microgrids, emphasizing the seamless transition between these modes to ensure a continuous power supply. By leveraging local distributed energy resources, the microgrid aims to reduce dependence on the main transmission grid while enhancing resilience and reliability. The proposed planning framework not only eases the economic burden of constructing renewable energy sources but also aids distribution utilities in maximizing local resources to achieve sustainable energy goals. Through a detailed network analysis and modeling, the framework provides a robust foundation for optimizing the energy mix and enhancing the overall system performance. This research contributes to advancing microgrid technology as a key driver towards achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in promoting clean and affordable energy access.