Multi-microgrid energy management through tertiary-level control: Structure and case study

Abstract

The widespread emergence of renewable energy resources has made microgrids neighbors. These microgrids share their power, and multi-microgrids are formed, which is more stable and flexible. However, the main problem of these smart grids is their complex control. To this end, tertiary-level control can play a significant role. This paper sought to cite the existing control models and strategic plans for microgrid operation, review the literature and provide a comprehensive picture of microgrid and multi-microgrids energy management at the tertiary-level control. Then, by introducing the component fatigue life as a new factor, an optimization method for energy management of multi-microgrids at the tertiary level is developed. For solving the problem, MATLAB and DigSilent software are used simultaneously. Different connection models and secondary level controller settings are determined using the binary grey wolf optimization in MATLAB. This data is provided to the DigSilent to carry out the optimal dispatch of generation units. The iterations are repeated until the desired operating point is reached. Several case studies are implemented to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. The results show that operating costs can be reduced up to 62.91% under the proposed method compared with the island mode.