Understanding Microgrid Sustainability: A Systemic and Comprehensive Review

Antoine Boche, Clément Foucher and Luiz Fernando Lavado Villa
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Antoine Boche: LAAS-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31000 Toulouse, France
Clément Foucher: LAAS-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31000 Toulouse, France
Luiz Fernando Lavado Villa: LAAS-CNRS, Université de Toulouse, CNRS, UPS, 31000 Toulouse, France

Energies, 2022, vol. 15, issue 8, 1-29

Abstract: There is a growing research interest in studying microgrids as a way to overcome the lack of access to energy. These microgrids could be the key to global energy access because of their many advantages related to flexibility, efficiency, and reliability. Despite all these qualities, microgrids remain challenging to implement in a sustainable and resilient way without a clear consensus on what causes these failures. To this end, this work proposes a new paradigm to make a multidisciplinary and comprehensive review of the operation of microgrids. By reconciling the different fields inherent to microgrids, this review enables the study of microgrids within a unified framework. Microgrids will be presented through energy, information, financial, and social fields to provide the necessary elements for their systemic understanding. Each field will be presented with its internal elements, architecture, and significant issues. By elaborating on this new vision of microgrids, this article hopes to open the way to a deeper understanding of their systemic operation and diagnose their long-term sustainability.

Keywords: microgrid; community microgrid; microgrid architecture; information system; business model; social acceptance; rural electrification; systemic approach; sustainability; resilience (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: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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