Optimal Control Strategy for Distributed Energy Resources in a DC Microgrid for Energy Cost Reduction and Voltage Regulation

Phi-Hai Trinh and Il-Yop Chung
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Phi-Hai Trinh: School of Electrical Engineering, Kookmin University, 861-1, Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02707, Korea
Il-Yop Chung: School of Electrical Engineering, Kookmin University, 861-1, Jeongneung-dong, Seongbuk-gu, Seoul 02707, Korea

Energies, 2021, vol. 14, issue 4, 1-19

Abstract: Distributed energy resources (DERs), including renewable energy resources (RESs) and electric vehicles (EVs), have a significant impact on distribution systems because they can cause bi-directional power flow in the distribution lines. Thus, the voltage regulation and thermal limits of the distribution system to mitigate from the excessive power generation or consumption should be considered. The focus of this study is on a control strategy for DERs in low-voltage DC microgrids to minimize the operating costs and maintain the distribution voltage within the normal range based on intelligent scheduling of the charging and discharging of EVs, and to take advantage of RESs such as photovoltaic (PV) plants. By considering the time-of-use electricity rates, we also propose a 24-h sliding window to mitigate uncertainties in loads and PV plants in which the output is time-varied and the EV arrival cannot be predicted. After obtaining a request from the EV owner, the proposed optimal DER control method satisfies the state-of-charge level for their next journey. We applied the voltage sensitivity factor obtained from a load-flow analysis to effectively maintain voltage profiles for the overall DC distribution system. The performance of the proposed optimal DER control method was evaluated with case studies and by comparison with conventional methods.

Keywords: DC microgrid; microgrid operation; vehicle-to-grid operation; mixed-integer linear programming; optimal operation; voltage sensitivity factor; voltage regulation (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: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (7)

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