Methods to improve reliability and operational flexibility by integrating hybrid community mini-grids into power systems

Abstract

Decarbonization and decentralization are major trends in the transformation of conventional power systems. The increase of the penetration of renewable electricity generation into generation mix contributes to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, one has to ensure that the reliability and operational flexibility as measured by respective metrics meet specified standards. This calls for a solution of a set of engineering, economic, and institutional problems, the list of which depends on the features specific to countries and regions in question. This is due to differences in the requirements established by technical regulations, the rules governing wholesale and retail electricity and capacity markets, the mix of electricity consumption, as well as the principles underpinning the management of capacity expansion and operation of power systems. The purpose of this article is to provide the rationale for the feasibility and efficacy of integrating hybrid community mini-grids into power systems. The balance of community mini-grids in terms of power and capacity allows them to operate both in the grid-connected and islanded modes without disrupting power supply to consumers. The main sources of electricity in hybrid community mini-grids are distributed generation (DG) facilities, including those based on renewables as well as energy storage systems (ESS). Load dispatching of community mini-grids is performed by an intelligent automatic control system (ACS) governed by decentralized algorithms, which provides coordinated operation of emergency control and power flow automatics. Integration of community mini-grids into power systems can be accomplished through several transmission lines that form an interconnection. The controlled flow of power through such an interconnection allows for significant system-wide technical and economic effects. We propose a technique to provide the rationale for the efficacy of creating community mini-grids. The technique is based on calculations of reliability metrics. The integration of hybrid community mini-grids into power systems makes it possible to increase the availability and uninterrupted supply of electricity to consumers, as well as the lifetime of power grid equipment.