CICED2008 Technical Session 3 Protection, Control, Communication and Automation of Distribution Network

83-25 CT 1800
Microgrids - An Integration of Renewable Energy Technologies
Xuan Liu, Bin Su
Corporate Research, ABB (China) Limited, Beijing, 100016
Abstract: Microgrids may be a prospective power system
that addresses the renewable energy technologies (RET)
technologies accompanying necessary growing deployment of
distributed energy resources (DER), especially small-scale
combined heat and power (CHP) and small-scale renewable
energy sources (RES). This article introduces the RET
expected to be applied in the microgrids system depending on
the RES. The RET include: microturbines, fuel cells,
photovoltaic cells, solar thermal arrays, and wind turbines
installations, also, the storage, load control, power and
voltage regulation and heat recovery units need to be grouped
together into Microgrids. Furthermore, several installations
engaged in active experiments in the microgrid area around
the world are introduced. The Microgrids can meet the cost,
efficiency, and environmental benefits; and the demanding
requirements for security, quality, reliability, and availability
(SQRA) benefits of on-site generation, achieved by
incorporating modern controls and operating with a degree of
autonomy. Market acceptability of DER technologies and the
gradual and consistent increase in their depth of penetration
have generated significant interest in integration, controls,
and optimal operation of DER units in the context of
microgrids. The development of the microgrid based on the
distributed generation together with the opportunities offered
by renewables, could have a major effect on the way rural
electrification is approached, not only in electrified countries
but also in developing countries.
Keywords: Microgrids, Renewable Energy Technologies,
Distributed Generation, Energy Management and Control,
Combined Heat and Power, Rural Electrification
1. INTRODUCTION
Microgrids may be a prospective framework that
addresses technical concerns accompanying necessary
growing deployment of renewable energy sources (RES) by
distributed power generation (DG) technologies to meet the
increasing requirements for power quality and reliability
(PQR). Microgrids are embedded in distribution systems,
especially small-scale combined heat and power (CHP), and
within customer commercial or industrial facilities by
incorporating modern controls that enable them to operate
with a degree of autonomy from the traditional macrogrid.
The growing requirements for the energy services provided
by electricity will be met using a collage of approaches,
technologies, and solutions. Examination of the electricity
demand growth problem indicates that microgrids are well
suited to play a significant role in the future evolution of
energy service provision [1, 2].
Distributed energy resources (DER), including DG and
distributed storage (DS), are sources of energy located near
local loads and can provide a variety of benefits including
improved reliability if they are properly operated in the
electrical distribution system. Integration of various DG
technologies with the utility power grid is an important
pathway to a clean, reliable, secure, and efficient energy
system for developed economies with established levels of
quality and reliability of electrical service [3] Various studies
have found that a large number of utilities as well as
consumers that have installed DGs at their facilities realize
benefits like local waste heat capture, improved reliability and
reduced cost [4-7]. A microgrid is created by connecting a
local group of small power generators using advanced
sensoring, communications, and control technologies.
The present paper introduces the concept of microgrid
firstly, then, briefly reviews the main RES and explores key
DG technologies raised by the Microgrid. The advantages of
microgrids and technical challenges associated with
Microgrids design and operation is described. At last, several
installations engaged in active experiments in the microgrid
area around the world are introduced.
2. integration of technologies for Microgrids
CICED2008 Technical Session 3 Protection, Control, Communication and Automation of Distribution Network
Largehydropower 15%
Fig. 3 Shareof global electricityfromrenewable energy
Traditional biomass
13%
Biofuels0.3%
<, Power genoration0.8%
Hot w' lcrJ1lO'ling 1.3%
Largehydropower 3%
New renewables 3.4%
2.3 Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs)
Renewable energy power plants have been developed in
the past several decades. DG is used in microgrid to mean
utilization of small generators that are located in the
distribution system or on sites to supply electricity.
Integration of various DG technologies with a grid named
microgrid is an important pathway to a clean, reliable, secure,
and efficient energy system for developed economies with
established levels of quality and reliability of electrical
service. Numerous promising DO, DS, and load management
technologies are under development or are entering early
commercialization stages, and the DG technologies have the
destiny to shape MicroGrids[13,I4] .
Microturbines: Microturbines are composed of a generator
and small gas turbine mounted on a single shaft. These units
currently range in size from 30 to about 100 kW. A
Fig. 2 Renewable energyshare of global final
energyconsumption
and supplies about 3.4 percent of global electricity production
[II] (See Fig. 3). The available RES at present include: Wind
power; Solar thermal; Solar photovoltaic; Hydro power;
Biomass energy; Geothermal energy; Waves and tides energy.
In recent years, the wind and solar energy are the fastest
growing source of energy around the world [12], and the wind
energy has been proved competitive with the conventional
resource in power market.
2.1 Microgrid Structure
Microgrids are systems that have at least one DER and
associated loads and can form intentional islands in the
electrical distribution systems. Within microgrids, loads and
energy sources can be disconnected from and reconnected to
the area or local electric power system with minimal
disruption to the local loads. Fig. I shows the schematic
structure of microgrids. The required flexible load can be met
under controlled operation at high energy efficiency due to
providing both power and heat. The key technical issues
raised by microgrid include: RET, DO, load control, and
power electronic interfaces.
Fig. I A typicalmicrogrid structure
2.2 Renewable Energy Source (RES)
RES can provide sustainable energy services with the
function of readily available hybrid, achieving solutions to
result in minimal local environmental damage and net
emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The potential role of
RES in transforming global energy consumption is enormous.
A transition to renewable-based energy power systems looks
increasingly desirable and possible because the costs of
renewable energy power systems have dropped substantially
in the past 30 years. Most forecasts indicate that costs of
renewably produced electricity should continue to decline [8].
The three "E" - energy, ecology, economy development
requirement have opened new opportunities for on-site power
generation application in the renewable energy conversion
technologies [9].
RES currently supplies 18 percent of the world's total
energy demand [10, II] (See Fig. 2). Renewable energy
replaces conventional fuels in four distinct sectors: power
generation, hot water and space heating, transport fuels, and
rural (off-grid) energy. In power generation, renewable energy
comprises about percent of global power generating capacity
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CICED2008 Technical Session 3 Protection, Control, Communication and Automation of Distribution Network
microturbine typically has 20-30 percent efficiency. CHP
operation can increase overall system efficiency to 70-80
percent. With the use of CHP, microturbines could generate
on-site power at costs competitive with those for current
purchased power.
Fuel Cells: A number of fuel cell technologies are either
under development or currently being used to generate power.
The attraction of fuel cells is their potential for highly
efficient conversion to electrical power (35 to 55 percent
without heat recovery). The technology in general used in
microgrid is the phosphoric acid fuel cell; CHP operation also
boosts the overall fuel conversion efficiency. A number of
other fuel cell technologies are being developed, including:
proton exchange membrane, molten carbonate, and solid
oxide.
Photovoltaic Cells: Photovoltaic (PV) devices have been in
existence for many years since their early use in the U.S.
space program. They rely on sunlight to produce DC voltage
at cell terminals. The amounts of voltage and current that PV
cells can produce depend on the intensity of sunlight and the
design of the cell. PV systems use cell arrays that are either
fixed or track the sun to capture additional energy. Storage is
required for standalone systems if power requirements exceed
available sunlight. PV systems operate highly reliably, quietly,
and with no emissions.
Solar Thermal: The main technology for small-scale
generation technologies in the solar thermal field is the
sterling dish. This technology is being tested in the 10-25kW
range. In this system, light is concentrated on a small receiver
by a sun-tracking array of mirrors. The heat collected by the
receiver is transferred to the hot end of a sterling engine. The
sterling engine uses working fluid in a closed cycle to push
pistons and generate shaft rotation. In a sterling dish, shaft
rotation is used to spin an induction generator that is
connected to the electric grid.
Wind: Wind generation has been commercially available for
many years. The main push has been in large wind farms
where wind turbines from 700kW to 1.5MW are available and
in use. These machines typically use an induction generator
driven by a rotor with blades. When the turbine is operating in
stand-alone mode, any power requirement in excess of the
wind energy available must be supplied by storage systems or
other generation.
2.4 Distributed Storage (DS) Technologies
Storage is important in the MicroGrid both because peak
loads are expensive to serve with purchased power and
MicroGrid generation sources may not be able to respond to
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load changes as needed[15]. Load changes are usually caused
by short-lived events, such as fast transients resulting from
starting of motors or turning on/off of equipment, or from
slower changes that exceed the ramping capability of
generation available at any given time. Storage systems can
be designed to switch into operation in subcycle time frames,
so they are ideal for tracking fast load changes or immediately
providing back-up if utility power is lost.
Batteries: Batteries are the traditional method of storing
electrical energy; there is considerable operational experience
with battery systems. Lead-acid batteries, available in almost
any size, are used in many applications that require back-up
power. Batteries using other chemistries are now also
available commercially, for example the flow batteries.
Recent improvements have increased energy storage density
and extended battery lifetimes.
Flywheels: These systems now incorporate composite rotors,
magnetic bearings, and advanced power electronics.
Flywheels store energy in high-speed (up to 100,000-rpm)
rotating wheel-like rotors or disks connected to
motor/generators. The amount of power stored in the flywheel
is proportional to the square of the rotational speed. The
energy stored in flywheels can be discharged at high power
(kW) for a short time or at a slower rate for a longer period.
Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage:
Superconductors allow the passage of electrical current
without losses. Electrical energy is stored as a circulating
current in a superconducting coil of wire. This circulating
current establishes a magnetic field in which the energy is
stored. Power electronic interfaces charge and discharge the
superconducting coil.
Supercapacitors: Supercapacitors are very-high-capacity
electrolytic devices that store energy in the form of
electrostatic charge. They are composed of two electrodes
with a very thin separator. Energy storage capacity increases
as the surface area of the electrodes increases.
2.5 Combined Heat and Power (CHP)
Heat recovery technologies for use in combined heat and
power (CHP) systems are necessary for MicroGrid viability.
One important potential benefit of MicroGrids is an expanded
opportunity to utilize the waste heat from conversion of
primary fuel to electricity. Because typically half to
three-quarters of the primary energy consumed in power
generation is ultimately released unutilized to the
environment, the potential gains from using this heat
productively are significant. Unlike electricity, heat, usually
in the form of steam or hot water, cannot be easily or
CICED2008 Technical Session 3 Protection, Control, Communication and Automation of Distribution Network
economically transported long distances, so CHP systems
typically provide heat for industrial processes, on-site space
heating, local district heating, or for domestic hot water or
sterilization. These are key enabling technologies for
MicroGrids and DER generally. MicroGrids can capture two
significant potential advantages over existing larger scale
CHP systems:
1. The production of heat can move closer to the point of
use. Because electricity is more readily transported than heat,
generation of heat close to the location of the heat load will
usually make more sense than generation of heat close to the
electrical load, and the MicroGrid permits generators to be
placed optimally in relation to heat loads.
2. The scale of heat production for individual units is
small and therefore offers greater flexibility in matching to
heat requirements. A MicroGrid could be constructed from
the most economic combination of waste-heat-producing
generators and non-waste-heat producing generators so that
the combined generation of electricity and heat is optimized.
2.6 Electrical Environment
As discussed earlier, the RETs shape the key principle of
microgrid, but another key feature that makes the MicroGrid
possible is the power electronics, control, and
communications capabilities that permit a MicroGrid to
function as a semiautonomous power system. The power
electronics are the critical distinguishing feature of the
MicroGrid. Beside the energy conversion and store depending
on the renewable energy and distributed generations, a mount
of electrical issues for operation are introduced to microgrid,
including:
Interconnection issues:
a) Standards;
b) System protection;
c) Interface
Voltage regulation
Monitoring and control
Load balancing
Power interactions
Harmonic resonance
3. Benefits of Microgrids
The major benefits of microgrids focus on three aspects
[16]: 1. Flexibility of power system; 2. Opportunities to tailor
the quality of power delivered to suit the requirements of
end-uses, here called heterogeneous power quality and
reliability (PQR); and 3. The more favorable environment
microgrids potentially establish for energy efficiency and
4
small-scale renewable generation investments.
Flexibility: Flexibility is a feature of power system which is
easiest to identify in the portfolio of power plant. CHP
operation occurs in microgrids makes the power network both
more efficient and more flexible. Since transporting
electricity is much more convenient than transporting heat,
placing generation where economically attractive heat sinks
exist may be a desirable generation configuration. Optimal
dispersion might suggest generators be small and deeply
embedded with demand.
Heterogeneous PQR: Various methods for measuring power
quality and power reliability are often used in quantifying
levels of electrical service [17]. Unscheduled outages are
generally much more disruptive and threatening to people and
property, while deterioration in power quality has mixed and
less dramatic effects such as voltage sags, swells, harmonics,
imbalances, etc. While the ideal is rarely achieved in practice,
the prevailing macrogrid paradigm is to provide a universal
level ofPQR to every load in the network.
Meeting 3E requirement: The adopter of generating
technologies, and also as the possible selector of technologies
on the demand side, people holds a unique vantage point that
seems absent in the macrogrid. The alternatives on both
demand and supply sides have a chance at being even
handedly considered, and alternatives that have a hard time
getting the attention of the macrogrid, such as renewables,
perhaps have a better chance of being chosen.
4. Installation and experiments of microgrids
Around the world, there are several installations engaged
in active experiments in the microgrid area covering an array
of technologies. As part of this research, microgrid topologies
and operational configurations are being defined and design
criteria established for all possibilities of microgrid
applications.
In the United States
Fig. 4 shows a microgrid of Consortium for Electric
Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS) located at
American Electric Power's Walnut test site in Columbus,
Ohio[18]. It consists of three 60-kW converter based sources
and a thyristor based static switch. The prime part in this case
is an automobile internal combustion engine run on natural
gas. It drives a synchronous generator at variable speeds to
achieve maximum efficiencies over a wide range of loads.
The output is rectified and inverted to insure a constant AC
frequency at the microgrid.
CICED2008 Technical Session 3 Protection, Control, Communication and Automation of Distribution Network
Fig. 5 Diagramof Aichi Microgridproject
Fig. 4 CERTSmicrogrid
Fig.6 Overviewof the Hachinoheproject
In the Kyotango project, gas engines with a total
capacity of 400 kW were installed together with a 250kW
MCFC and a 100kW lead-acid battery. In remote locations,
two PV systems and one 50kW small wind turbine were also
installed.
The Hachinohe project (Figure 6) features a microgrid
system constructed using a private distribution line measuring
more than 5km. The private distribution line was constructed
to transmit electricity primarily generated by the gas engine
system. Several PV systems and small wind turbines are also
connected to the microgrid. At the power plant, three 170kW
gas engines and a 50kW PV system have been installed.
In Canada
In Canada, the customers in Boston Bar town had been
exposed to power outages of 12 to 20 hours two or three times
per year. In this area, as shown in Figure 7, the implemented
option to reduce sustained power-outage durations is based on
utilizing a local independent power producer (IPP), to operate
in an intentional island mode and supply the town load on one
or more feeders ofthe substation. The Boston Bar IPP has two
3.45 MW hydro power generators and is connected to one of
the three feeders with a peak load of3.0 MW.
In Europe
The European Union has supported two major research
efforts devoted exclusively to microgrids. The Microgrids
project focused on the operation of a single microgrid, has
successfully investigated appropriate control techniques, and
demonstrated the feasibility of microgrid operation through
converters, was constructed. A block diagram of the supply
system for the project is shown in Figure 5. The Aichi project
experienced a second grid-independent operation mode in
September 2007.
:1EX"' ''' ,--.-
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-- -----."". ' I ..
: - 500Ft :
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In Japan
The New Energy and Industrial Technology
Development Organization (NEDO) is currently supporting a
variety of microgrid demonstration projects applying
renewable and distributed generation[19] . The first group of
projects, called Regional Power Grids with Various New
Energies, was implemented at three locations in Japan: Expo
2005 Aichi, recently moved to the Central Japan Airport City
(Aichi project), Kyoto Eco-Energy project (Kyotango project),
and Regional Power Grid with Renewable Energy Resources
in Hachinohe City (Hachinohe project). In these three projects,
control systems capable of matching energy demand and
supply for microgrid operation were established.
In the Aichi project, a power supply system utilizing fuel
cells, PY, and a battery storage system, all equipped with
5
CICED2008 Technical Session 3 Protection, Control, Communication and Automation of Distribution Network
,I
1---------1
I Boson Bar Substation I
I Feader 1
I
Feeder 2
I
I 14 MVA
I 69125kV
I I
1 1
7.0 MW Independent
Power Producer
Fig. 7 Systemconfiguration for the BostonBar IPP and BCHydroplannedislandingsite
Fig. 10PVarray in Beijing, China
LV Feeder 1
LV Feeder 3
LV Feeder 2
LV Feedar 4
200 A
Dyn5
400 kVA Automatic
Islanding and
Reconnection
630 A Switch
10kV Utility Network
Fig.9 Schematicfor the Bronsbergen HolidayParkmicirgrid
In china
Fig. 10 shows a grid-connected photovoltaic sun power
supply system named full-automatic sun-oriented system was
installed in Beijing Chaoyang Park. The feature of the solar
cells array moving along with sun position enhances the
efficiency of power generation more than 30%.
laboratory experiments. A pilot installation was installed in
Kythnos Island, Greece, that evaluated a variety of DER to
create a microgrid. Continuing microgrid projects in Greece
include a laboratory facility (Figure 8) that has been set up at
the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), with
the objective to test small-scale equipment and control
strategies for microgrid operation. The system comprises
two poles, each equipped with local (PV and wind)
generation and battery storage, connected to each other via a
low-voltage line as well as to the main grid. Each pole may
operate as a microgrid via its own connection to the grid, or
both poles may be connected via the low-voltage line to
form a two-bus microgrid connected to the main grid at one
end.
One of the more Microgrids projects is located at
Bronsbergen Holiday Park, located near Zutphen in the
Netherlands. It comprises 210 cottages, 108 of which are
equipped with grid-connected PV systems. The park is
electrified by a traditional three-phase 400-V network, which
is connected to a 10-kV medium-voltage network via a
distribution transformer located on the premises (Figure 9).
Fig.8 Laboratory microgridfacilityat NTUA, Greece
5. Conclusion
MicroGrids is a prospective approach to integrating
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CICED2008 Technical Session 3 Protection, Control, Communication and Automation of Distribution Network
various renewable energy technologies into electricity
distribution networks, or more generally, into the current
wider power system. In addition to generating technologies,
MicroGrids also include storage, load control and heat
recovery equipment. MicroGrids would be designed to
operate independently, usually operating connected to the grid
but islanding from it. Microgrids will provide improved
electric service reliability and better power quality to end
customers and can also benefit local utilities by providing
dispatchable load for use during peak power conditions and
alleviating or postponing distribution system upgrades.
Market acceptability of DER technologies and the
gradual and consistent increase in their depth of penetration
have generated significant interest in integration, controls,
and optimal operation of DER units in the context of
microgrids. To make the most out of the emerging microgrid
planning and architectural approach, a coordinated,
market-compatible deployment has to be applied using
advanced tools. In the practical transition from the current
centrally supplied grids toward microgrid-oriented system
designs, the key requirements are development and utilization
of safe and dependable communication infrastructure and
control strategies.
The progress in the field of renewables energy
technology has been significant and new opportunities present
themselves through both demand side and supply side
developments. This development of the microgrid based on
the distributed generation together with the opportunities
offered by renewables, could have a major effect on the way
rural electrification is approached, not only in electrified
countries but also in developing countries.
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