Application of flexible ramping products with allocation rates in microgrid utilizing electric vehicles

Abstract

Microgrids account for a relatively high proportion of renewable energy utilization. Therefore, an operation method that ensures flexible resources to cope with the variability and uncertainty in renewable energy is indispensable for microgrid operators (MGOs). Here, we focus on the necessity of an optimal generation scheduling model for MGOs by considering flexible resources, namely flexible ramping products (FRPs). We propose a microgrid scheduling model including a method of utilizing electric vehicles (EVs) as a flexible resources and an operation method to secure FRPs in microgrids by applying allocation indices. The states and available capacities of EVs during each period are estimated using a Markov chain. The net load scenarios, which are considered as the target for the supply–demand balancing in the proposed method, are generated considering the uncertainty in forecasting load and renewable energy. The effectiveness and merits of the proposed model are validated through experiments on a microgrid test system that allows transactions between utilities through the tie-line. The results confirm that the proposed optimal generation scheduling model affords a reduction in microgrid operating costs and enables the stabilization of variability.