System Parameter Design for Community Microgrid Energy System Based on a Bi-Level Optimization Model

Abstract

Abstract With the increasing use of renewable energy in the context of global climate change, microgrids are expected to be a promising form of accessing and distributing renewable energy sources. However, existing design methods for microgrid energy systems usually consider the system planning and system operation as separate problems, which cannot guarantee the safety, reliability and cost economy of microgrids from a holistic view. To fill this gap, we propose a system parameter design approach for community microgrid based on a bi-level optimization model. This approach can generate optimal system configuration parameters and operation parameters for a community microgrid energy system in an integrated way. To demonstrate the validity of the proposed approach, we use the construction and operation of a medium-sized community microgrid system in a southern-China city as the illustrative example. The results show that the generated system planning and operation strategies can effectively improve the reliability and lower the operation cost of the microgrid system without raising customers’ power consumption expenditures. In addition, the influence of the environmental sensitivity of renewable energy and the dynamics of customers’ power consumption patterns on the reliability and economy of microgrid are also examined and discussed. Our study contributes to the development of advanced design and operation methods for smart-community energy systems.