A Decision Support Tool for Building Integrated Renewable Energy Microgrids Connected to a Smart Grid

Damilola A. Asaleye, Michael Breen and Michael D. Murphy
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Damilola A. Asaleye: Department of Process, Energy and Transport Engineering, Cork Institute of Technology, Co. Cork T12 P928, Ireland
Michael Breen: Department of Process, Energy and Transport Engineering, Cork Institute of Technology, Co. Cork T12 P928, Ireland
Michael D. Murphy: Department of Process, Energy and Transport Engineering, Cork Institute of Technology, Co. Cork T12 P928, Ireland

Energies, 2017, vol. 10, issue 11, 1-29

Abstract: The objective of this study was to create a tool that will enable renewable energy microgrid (RE?G) facility users to make informed decisions on the utilization of electrical power output from a building integrated RE?G connected to a smart grid. A decision support tool for renewable energy microgrids (DSTREM) capable of predicting photovoltaic array and wind turbine power outputs was developed. The tool simulated users’ daily electricity consumption costs, avoided CO 2 emissions and incurred monetary income relative to the usage of the building integrated RE?G connected to the national electricity smart grid. DSTREM forecasted climate variables, which were used to predict RE?G power output over a period of seven days. Control logic was used to prioritize supply of electricity to consumers from the renewable energy sources and the national smart grid. Across the evaluated RE?G electricity supply options and during working days, electricity exported by the RE?G to the national smart grid ranged from 0% to 61% of total daily generation. The results demonstrated that both monetary saving and CO 2 offsets can be substantially improved through the application of DSTREM to a RE?G connected to a building.

Keywords: renewable energy; microgrid; smart grid; localized weather forecasting; demand side management; electricity tariff; building energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (11)

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