Microgrids are not new to power systems, since these local and small grids have been widely deployed and utilized for electricity supply in remote and isolated communities such as islands and remote villages throughout the world. However, there is nowadays a rapid development and deployment of microgrids in the context of smart and resilient power networks, in good part motivated by the need to integrate distributed generation, especially if powered by renewable resources such as wind and solar, to reduce operational costs and the environmental impact of these grids, particularly for diesel-depended isolated microgrids.
The presentation will provide a general overview of microgrids and the research work being carried out by Prof. Canizares’ group at the University of Waterloo on the area, including a summary of a survey carried out by the group on remote microgrids in Canada, and a detailed description of the microgrid in one of these communities, namely, the Kasabonika Lake First Nation (KLFN) community microgrid in Northern Ontario, where a one-year measuring campaign was carried out to identify main technical issues associated with these kinds of microgrids.
A general description of the group’s main research contributions and findings in the area of microgrids, with several practical examples, will be provided, focusing on dispatch, control, stability, and optimal planning. In particular, the following subjects will be discussed in some detail: Energy Management Systems (EMS) considering renewable power uncertainty; voltage and frequency control including electrical and thermal energy storage for microgrids with high penetration of variable renewable power; stability definitions, modeling, simulation, and analysis; optimal placement and sizing of renewable power equipment for minimization of costs and diesel use, considering secure system operation; and dc microgrid EMS and power flows.
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