CERTS MicroGrid Symposium

Northern Power Systems

Update on Mad River MicroGrid and Related Activities

June 17, 2005

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MicroGrid Definition (NPS version)

A MicroGrid power system:

• Is a local scale power system using micro source
generation scaled either by electrical or thermal output
to the local system demand.
• Can serve a customer with multiple load locations, an
industrial park, or a campus.
• Is designed to transfer seamlessly between connection
with the local utility and isolated operation.
• Provides power reliability and power quality benefits
not available from the conventional utility grid system.
• Incorporates communication/aggregation features to
allow organization and control of the MicroGrid power
system as a single entity.

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MicroGrid Benefits
To Users or Customers:
• Economics
– Potential spark spread savings
– Thermal energy savings when CHP employed
– Potential for economic dispatch of generation assets
• Power reliability & availability
– Multiple generation assets
– Isolation from local grid problems
• Power quality
– Local voltage control
– Voltage and current harmonic improvement

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MicroGrid Benefits
To Utilities:
• Transmission and distribution support in constrained
areas.
• Potential revenue from “premium power” product
offered to customers.
• Potential revenue for thermal energy product in addition
to electrical energy.
• Can behave as a single interruptible load.
• Can behave as a single dispatchable generation
resource.

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MicroGrid Benefits
To Society:
• Potential for more efficient overall fuel use than
traditional generation.
• Potential for reduced emissions compared to
centralized utility system.
• Ability to allow high penetration of renewable
generation.
• Increased security of overall power delivery
infrastructure.

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Barriers to Widespread Deployment
Technical
• Limited availability of advanced DG options that
compete economically with recip. engine generators.
• Lack of available power conversion systems with
required advanced features needed to enable
MicroGrid system operation.
• Need streamlined analysis tools for evaluating high
penetration effects on distribution system.
• Need verified and recognized safety/protective
relaying methods for both grid connected and
isolated operation.

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Barriers to Widespread Deployment
Economic & Regulatory
• Emerging DG technologies must achieve aggressive
commercialization and cost goals
• Need interconnection standards that address
MicroGrid systems (intentional islanding)
• Utility policies create barriers to market; should be
partners
• No comprehensive method in place to monetize
combined benefits to users, utilities, and to society

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Northern’s Roadmap
• Continue current DG commercial activity
– On site generation with CHP, including critical load support
– Power reliability enhancements
– Fleet monitoring and dispatch of assets
• Develop key enabling technologies for advanced DG
systems
– Advanced power electronics
– Fleet aggregation, monitoring and dispatch software
– System modeling tools
• Demonstrate MicroGrid feasibility
– Lab level 75kW MicroGrid system using power electronics
based assets.
– Build and test full scale, real world MicroGrid systems.
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Mad River Park MicroGrid System
• Design, install, and test MicroGrid system at
Northern’s industrial park.
• System Description
– 6 commercial and industrial facilities
– 12 residences
– Multiple generation assets
• 280kW, 100kW generator sets
• 30kW microturbine(s)
• Photovoltaic array
– MicroGrid isolation switch for islanded operation
– Overall Energy Management system
• DOE funding support for design and commissioning
phases of program
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 Mad River MicroGrid One-Line
NPS New Building
(Lead MicroGrid Member)

PV
N. Fayston Road residences:
MLD
PCC Control 3 houses 2 houses 4 houses 2 houses
& Protective office loads
Relay
10 kVA each
phase B lighting
(534)
WEC Sw (533)
ET Lab and MadGrid
(7200 V) internal Controller
FUSE-1729 microgrid
4-wire
distribution
with multi-
grounded N Critical Gen GC
500 kVA Loads Bus Bus 280 kW
(1729) 3-phase Propane
Genset
GC

100 kW
PR
Biodiesel
(UG219) Genset
UC

25 kVA
phase B Commercial
MT
Customer 2
Power Router
Commercial Future
Customer 3
Energy
Power Router
Storage
Commercial Customer 1
(Autonomous MicroGrid Member)
Legend NPS Old Building
MT (Autonomous MicroGrid Member)
(535) WEC Element Name
(535) GC

GC Generator Control 75 kVA

100 kW
112.5 kVA Biodiesel
phase C
3-phase
(UG214) Genset
UC Utility Control
25 kVA PR
112.5 kVA
MT MicroTurbine phase C
3-phase 300 kVA Office and
3-phase shop loads
Commercial
Commercial Customer 5
Sw Medium Voltage Switch
Customer 4

PR Protective Relay & Metering

Commercial
Customer 6

All 3-phase utility

transformers are wye /
wye connected with
grounded neutrals
Preliminary 1-Line Diagram

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 Needs Addressed by Mad River MicroGrid Project

Identified need:
• Regulatory agencies and utilities lack experience base to deal with
grid connected MicroGrid systems

Program objectives to address need:

• Work through regulatory and legal issues on an actual MicroGrid
system, and develop framework for future projects
• Use real world project to demonstrate the operation, protection, and
control of MicroGrid power systems.
• Increase overall understanding of the operation of MicroGrid systems
to enable wider market adoption

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 Needs Addressed by Mad River MicroGrid Project

Identified need:
• Modeling and simulation methods available but little verification
against real world MicroGrid systems

Program objectives to address need:

• Develop simulation methods for streamlining the design and approval
process
• Model overall MicroGrid system and its effect on the distribution
system
• Verify analysis tools and modeling methods using a fully functional
MicroGrid system

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 Needs Addressed by Mad River MicroGrid Project

Identified need:
• Current interconnection standards don’t address intentional islanding
DER systems like MicroGrids

Program objectives to address need:

• Demonstrate safety/protective relaying control methods for both grid
connected and isolated operation in cooperation with utility partner
• Align work with activities of IEEE1547 intentional islanding subgroup
• Provide power quality and availability benefits to the power customers
within the Mad River MicroGrid

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Technical Approach
• Partner with local utility to establish operating modes and
practices, safe service protocols
• Model overall distribution circuit to predict effects of MicroGrid
system
• Design and install automated isolation switch in 7.2KV utility
feed to allow MicroGrid islanded operation
• Install and commission DER assets
– Multiple conventional generator sets
– Inverter based generation (PV, microturbines)
– Provision for energy storage assets
– Flexibility for changing/upgrading DER asset mix over time
• Demonstrate all defined interconnected and islanded operating
modes
• Demonstrate and document system operation in full automated
mode

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Mad River MicroGrid Modeling
• Developed overall distribution system model using PSCAD
– Substation
– Distribution lines and loads
– Utility voltage regulators
– MicroGrid isolation switch
– MicroGrid assets & controllers
• Simulated system response under multiple operating modes
– Baseline mode – match MicroGrid output to critical load needs
– 0kW mode – control MicroGrid to net zero power flow at PCC
– Export mode – command generators to full rated output
• Simulated operation in normal and fault conditions
– Load flow in all modes of operation
– Single and three phase fault response
– Loss of load response

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Distribution System - Moretown Circuit

Moretown Substation:
3 x 1200 kVA transformers,
150 kVAR capacitor banks
3 x 150A autotransformer voltage regulator

3 x 100A autotransformer voltage regulator

Mad River MicroGrid

power network

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 Simplified Distribution Circuit Model
XFMR221
3 x 1200 kVA transformer
21.24 kV delta / 7.6 kV wye Multi-grounded 4-wire distribution

Z0
Z1 Z3
V0 OCR
9093 Z5
CAP99
Z7
50 kVAR
Z2
per phase B4 Z10
wye Duxbury Z6 CAP101
Branch 50 kVAR
Z8
per phase
REG 222 wye Z11
3 x 150A grounded wye
autotransformer voltage
regulator B9
REG 212 Harwood
3 x 100A wye Branch
autotransformer voltage
regulator

WEC MicroGrid

7200 / 480 V
500 kVA

Z14 SS Z21 Zgs

Z22 Z23 NPS

B12 B13 Z15 Z20 NPS NPS Generators Vgs
Center Airport old new
Fayston Road
Branch Branch

Z16

7200 / 480 V

Z17 Zmt

Customer 1
Microturbine Vmt
Z17 Z18 Z19

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Power Export Mode – System Response
Main,Utility : Graphs
PWEC(kW) QWEC(kVAR)
180
170
160
150
140
Real & reactive power at PCC
y

130
120
110
100
Propane_EF (p.u.) Biodiesel_EF (p.u.)
2.900

2.850

2.800
Gen. field reg. P.u. voltage
2.750
y

2.700

2.650

2.600
VmadgridSS_A (rms p.u.) VmadgridSS_B (rms p.u.) VmadgridSS_C (rms p.u.)
1.100

1.075

1.050

1.025
y

1.000
VREG2 p.u. voltage setting
0.975

0.950
8.0 10.0 12.0 14.0 16.0 18.0 20.0

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Loss of Load Case – Center Fayston Branch
Main : Graphs
Propane_Speed (p.u.) Biodiesel_Speed (p.u.)
1.0100
1.0080
1.0060
1.0040
1.0020 Main : Graphs
1.0000 Propane_Tmech (p.u.) Propane_TelecSS (p.u.)
Generator p.u. speed
y

0.9980
0.675
0.650
0.9960
0.625
0.9940
0.600
0.9920
0.575
y

0.9900
0.550
0.525
10.0 15.0
0.500
0.475
Biodiesel_Tmech (p.u.) Biodiesel_TelecSS (p.u.)

0.640
0.620
0.600
0.580 Electrical torque
y

0.560
0.540
0.520
0.500
9.0 10.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.0 16.0

Main : Graphs
VNPS_A (rms p.u) VNPS_B (rms p.u) VNPS_C (rms p.u)
1.100
1.080
1.060
1.040
1.020
Generator p.u. voltage
y

1.000
0.980
0.960
0.940
9.0 10.0 11.0 12.0 13.0 14.0 15.0 16.0 17.0

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Current Mad River MicroGrid Project Status

• Local and regional approvals in place

• Finalizing utility MOU
• Vermont PSB Certificate of Public Good review
approval anticipated in August timeframe
• Preliminary system installation underway
• DER and isolation switch installation in Q3 2005
• System commissioning in Q4 2005

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 Interactions and Collaborations
• NREL
– Project funding support
– Technical Monitor: Ben Kroposki
• State of Vermont
– Public Service Board CPG review & approval
• Washington Electric Coop
– Interconnecting utility
• E-Pro
– Distribution system technical consulting
– Environmental consulting
– CPG testimony preparation
• Tarrant, Marks, & Gilles
– Legal representation
– Regulatory approval process support
• MicroGrid system power customers
– Active commercial members, with connected DER assets
– Passive commercial and residential members
– All members gain power quality/reliability benefits
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Other Related Programs
• Universal DER interconnection device
– NREL/CEC support

• EnergyBridge™ energy storage system

– CEC/PIER support

• CERTS microgrid test bed development

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Universal DER Interconnection Device

• Funding support through NREL/CEC Distributed Power

program
• DER SWITCH project objective:
– Develop a DER Utility Interface System that provides a flexible,
universal interface for connecting single or multiple DER
systems to the utility
• DER SWITCH project scope:
– Incorporate multiple control and power switching functions to
interconnect multiple DER assets into overall system
– Minimize custom engineering and site-specific approval
processes
– Applicable to DER assets with conventional generators or power
converters
– Modular system for maximum flexibility, with control, power and
communication modules
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Universal DER Interconnection Device
Flexible DER Interface System MTR Meter
PCC Point of common coupling
Area Electric SG Switch gear (Power module)
PR
Power System PD Power distribution (Power module)
PR Protective relaying (Control module)
MTR PCC SG PD L M&D Monitoring & dispatch (Comm. module)
PM Prime mover
M&D GE DER Generator
PC Power Conversion
LC Local DER device control
L Loads

Power Network Aware

DER Asset
WEB
M&D

PM GE PC

LC

M&D

PM GE PC

LC

DER Power Network Block Diagram

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EnergyBridge™ Energy Storage System

• Funding support through CEC/PIER Advanced

Energy Storage program
• Ultracapacitor-based energy storage asset
• Focused on short time duration
– 10s of seconds, 95% of outage cases
• Multiple applications & benefits:
– Power quality support for critical loads
– Support of slower response DG assets in
MicroGrids
– Enables higher penetration of DG into both grid
connected and isolated grids

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Palmdale Power System
Water Treatment Plant
Loads – 495 kW Clearwell
PQM “Critical”
Loads
Treatment Plant 225 kW 225 kW ~400 kW
Loads - 150 kW
Ultracapacitor
Future Loads Fast Switch
EnergyBridge
50 kW 2 x 225 kW

Ave S Booster NG
Loads - 120 kW Genset
200 kW Clearwell
Other Loads
Hypochlorite 360+ kW
Treatment Hydro
175 kW Wind 250 kW
Turbine Diesel
950 kW Back-up
Diesel 800 kW
Back-up
1000 kW
PQM PQM

M SCE Utility
M
Grid

Energy Storage Enhanced MicroGrid Network

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Other Related Development Activity

• Advanced power converter development

– DER applications
– Wind turbine applications

• SmartView™ DER energy management system

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 Advanced Power Electronics

Power converter development by NPS team

• 100 kW wind turbine converter system
• 15 kW MicroGrid inverter test bed
• 1500 kW DDPM wind turbine converter
• 2200 kW DDPM modular wind turbine converter
• 850 kW DG converter
• 450 kW energy storage system converter

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MicroGrid Power Network Test System

480 Vac 480 Vac 480 Vac

Disconnect
208 Vac 208 Vac 208 Vac

Load Load Load

#1 #2 #3 #4 #5
DG Inverters

Rectifiers

DG
(Diesel Genset)
Disconnect

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Modular MW converter for DG & wind markets

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 SmartView® DER Management System
Northern system for monitoring and controlling remote power systems

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 For more information, contact:
Jonathan Lynch
(802) 496-2955 ext. 224
jlynch@northernpower.com
Northern Power Systems
182 Mad River Park
Waitsfield, Vermont 05673 USA
www.northernpower.com

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