Microgrids are energy systems that aggregate distributed energy resources, loads, and power electronics devices in a stable and balanced way. They rely on energy management systems to schedule optimally the distributed energy resources. Conventionally, many scheduling problems have been solved by using complex algorithms that, even so, do not consider the operation of the distributed energy resources. This paper presents the modeling and design of a modular energy management system and its integration to a grid-connected battery-based microgrid. The scheduling model is a power generation-side strategy, defined as a general mixed-integer linear programming by taking into account two stages for proper charging of the storage units. This model is considered as a deterministic problem that aims to minimize operating costs and promote self-consumption based on 24-hour ahead forecast data. The operation of the microgrid is complemented with a supervisory control stage that compensates any mismatch between the offline scheduling process and the real time microgrid operation. The proposal has been tested experimentally in a hybrid microgrid at the Microgrid Research Laboratory, Aalborg University.

Low voltage dc microgrids have been widely used for supplying critical loads, such as data centers and remote communication stations. Consequently, it is important to ensure redundancy and enough energy capacity in order to support possible increments in load consumption. This is achieved by means of expansion of the energy storage system by adding extra distributed energy storage units. However, using distributed energy storage units adds more challenges in microgrids control, since stored energy should be balanced in order to avoid deep discharge or over-charge in one of the energy storage units. Typically, voltage droop loops are used for interconnecting several different units in parallel to a microgrid. This paper proposes a new decentralized strategy based on fuzzy logic that ensures stored energy balance for a low voltage dc microgrid with distributed battery energy storage systems by modifying the virtual resistances of the droop controllers in accordance with the state of charge of each energy storage unit. Additionally, the virtual resistance is adjusted in order to reduce the voltage deviation at the common dc bus. The units are self-controlled by using local variables only, hence, the microgrid can operate without relying on communication systems. Hardware in the loop results show the feasibility of the proposed method.

The coordinated operation of distributed energy resources such as storage and generation units and also loads is required for the reliable operation of an islanded microgrid. Since in islanded microgrids the storage units are commonly responsible for regulating the voltage amplitude and frequency in the local power system, the coordination should consider safe operating limits for the stored energy, which prevents fast degradation or damage to the storage units. This paper proposes a centralized control architecture, applicable for local area power systems such as a small-scale microgrid. The centralized architecture is based on three supervisory control tasks which consider: active power curtailment of generation for avoiding overcharge of the storage units, load shedding actions for preventing deep discharge of the storage units, and equalization of the state of charge among distributed storage systems for avoiding uneven degradation. The proposed equalization method has proved to be effective for equalizing the state of charge of distributed energy storage systems and for ensuring uniform charge/discharge ratios regardless of differences in the capacity of the storage units. Additionally, the strategy is complemented with an optimal scheduling of load connection, which minimizes the connection and disconnection cycles of the loads within a time horizon of 24 hours. The proposed architecture is verified experimentally in a lab-scale prototype of a microgrid, which has real communication between the microgrid and the central controller.

Microgrids are energy systems that can work independently from the main grid in a stable and self-sustainable way. They rely on energy management systems to schedule optimally the distributed energy resources. Conventionally, the main research in this field is focused on scheduling problems applicable for specific case studies rather than in generic architectures that can deal with the uncertainties of the renewable energy sources. This paper contributes a design and experimental validation of an adaptable energy management system implemented in an online scheme, as well as an evaluation framework to quantitatively assess the enhancement attained by different online energy management strategies. The proposed architecture allows the interaction of measurement, forecasting and optimization modules, in which a generic generation-side mathematical problem is modeled, aiming to minimize operating costs and load disconnections. The whole energy management system has been tested experimentally in a test bench under both grid-connected and islanded mode. Also, its performance has been proved considering severe mismatches in forecast generation and load. Several experimental results have demonstrated the effectiveness of the proposed EMS, assessed by the corresponding average gap with respect to a selected benchmark strategy and ideal boundaries of the best and worst known solutions.

The increment of electrical and electronic appliances for improving the lifestyle of residential consumers had led to a larger demand of energy. In order to supply their energy requirements, the consumers have changed the paradigm by integrating renewable energy sources to their power grid. Therefore, consumers become prosumers in which they internally generate and consume energy looking for an autonomous operation. This paper proposes an energy management system for coordinating the operation of distributed household prosumers. It was found that better performance is achieved when cooperative operation with other prosumers in a neighborhood environment is achieved. Simulation and experimental results validate the proposed strategy by comparing the performance of islanded prosumers with the operation in cooperative mode¹.

For reliable operation of an islanded microgrid, at least one of its distributed resources should assume the responsibility of forming the off-grid power system. This responsibility is usually assumed by energy storage systems based on their capability of compensating the unbalance between generation and consumption. However, the storage units lose this capability when they reach the maximum and minimum limits of charge. Under these conditions, the regulation of the power grid may be assumed by another unit with enough capability or the power balance should be adjusted coordinately. This paper proposes a coordination architecture for islanded ac microgrids, which considers the appropriate charge profiles for battery-based energy storage systems. The architecture is based on distributed decision-making mechanisms, which use only local measurements for determining the operation mode of each unit independently. The coordination relies on a bus-signaling method, which enables the distributed units to have a global perception about the operation of the microgrid, without any communication infrastructure. The proposed architecture includes cooperative operation between distributed energy storage systems for achieving the equalization of the states of charge. Experimental results in a lab-scale microgrid with network configuration validate the proposed strategy under different operational conditions.