A Methodology for Assessing Islanding of Microgrids: Between Utility Dependence and Off-Grid Systems

Antonio Colmenar-Santos, Carlos De Palacio, Lorenzo Alfredo Enríquez-García and África López-Rey
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Antonio Colmenar-Santos: Industrial Engineering Higher Technical School, Spanish University for Distance Education (UNED), Juan del Rosal St., 12, Madrid 28040, Spain
Carlos De Palacio: Power Systems Division, Asea Brown Boveri (ABB), San Romualdo 13, Madrid 28035, Spain
Lorenzo Alfredo Enríquez-García: Industrial Engineering Higher Technical School, Spanish University for Distance Education (UNED), Juan del Rosal St., 12, Madrid 28040, Spain
África López-Rey: Industrial Engineering Higher Technical School, Spanish University for Distance Education (UNED), Juan del Rosal St., 12, Madrid 28040, Spain

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 5, 1-19

Abstract: This paper presents a novel methodology for assessing islanding microgrids from the economical and functional perspective, for various stakeholders. The paper proposes the triggers for competitive deployment of microgeneration, storage, microgrid islanding, the market conditions that apply, and discusses the future tendencies and the policy recommendations to foster microgrid benefits. The validation of the proposed scheme is based on real market cases, where the triggers for autogeneration and islanding microgrids are present. Additionally, the new concept of grid independence cycle is presented and analyzed. The policy implications of a situation where grid consumption reduction leads to higher energy prices are presented and discussed. The paper concludes with a summary of prioritized technical and regulatory recommendations, proposed as a result of the assessment.

Keywords: smart grids; microgrid; network planning; power distribution; grid independence (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: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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