Abstract

The issue of controlled and reliable integration of distributed energy resources into microgrids and large power grids has recently gained considerable attention. The microgrid concept, which basically corresponds to the coordinated operation of a cluster of loads, distributed generators and energy storage systems, is quite appealing due to its flexibility, controllability and energy management capabilities. In order to provide uninterruptible power supply to the loads, microgrids are expected to operate in both grid-connected and stand-alone modes, and economically meet the demand on an instantaneous basis. The problem of optimal management of the resources in a microgrid is being widely investigated and recent studies have proposed the application of both centralized and distributed control schemes by using multi-agent systems, heuristic methods and optimization algorithms. This paper elaborates on the conceptual design of a centralized energy management system (EMS) and its desirable attributes for a microgrid in stand-alone mode of operation. A number of test protocols are proposed to analyze the performance of the system, as well as the impacts of relevant parameters.