Energy management for a hybrid renewable micro-grid system

Hybrid micro-grid systems are a key factor in the shift to sustainable energy sources, resiliency, and efficient power infrastructure, ensuring a cleaner, more dependable energy supply in the future. The new method of micro-grids, however, focusses on the EMS. In this regard, diverse research has been conducted in accordance with EMS, and it has been discovered that EMS of micro-grids presents several obstacles. The effectiveness and operation of an EMS are rarely used in the current literature, or the precision of an EMS is insufficient. For instance, the correlation between the operating conditions of the battery energy storage systems (BESSs) and their rates of charging and discharging, has an impact on the efficiency dependence of the equipment on the operating point, state of charge, system degradation, and imbalance situations. Hence, an EMS is important to offer an optimal hybrid renewable micro-grid operation and optimize its performance.

The aim of this research was to optimize the utilization of renewable energy sources while ensuring stability, reliability, and efficiency of the hybrid micro-grid operation. By implementing a sophisticated control algorithm, the aim was to seamlessly integrate various renewable energy sources (RESs), such as solar and wind, with a battery energy storage system and diesel generator. The primary goal was to minimize reliance on fossil fuels, reduce carbon emissions, and promote sustainability by maximizing the utilization of clean energy resources within the hybrid micro-grid. This research offers several significant contributions such as developing an EMS controller that optimizes energy usage within the hybrid micro-grid, ensuring that energy is produced and consumed efficiently. The tools used to develop the energy management strategy comprise MATLAB/Simulink and Typhoon HIL’s real-time digital simulator. The proposed energy management strategy is based on Stateflow logical programming environment.

By coordinating the operation of renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, and demand-side management strategies, the controller minimizes energy wastage and improves overall system efficiency. Additionally, this research implements comprehensive control in real-time and management systems to adaptively respond to variation in renewable energy generation and load demands. By addressing these aspects, the research aims to promote wider adoption of sustainable energy practices by offering useful guidance for the design and hybrid micro-grid systems operation. The outcome of this research adds value to existing available academic literature in the quest to plan programs and projects that lead to accelerate the adoption and use of hybrid renewable energy sources for sustainable development and effective sources of power production.