Engineering Microgrids Amid the Evolving Electrical Distribution System

• Published in: Energies (Basel) Vol. 17; no. 19; p. 4764
• Main Authors: Sharma, Smriti, O’Donnell, John, Su, Wencong, Mueller, Richard, Roald, Line, Rehman, Khurram, Bernstein, Andrey
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.10.2024
• Subjects: adaptive networked microgrids; Design; distributed energy resource; Efficiency; Electric power distribution; Electricity distribution; energy justice; Energy management; Energy resources; Engineering research; Engineers; Load; microgrid; non-wires alternatives; Optimization techniques; Power; R&D; Research & development; sectionalizing; United States
• ISSN: 1996-1073; 1996-1073
• DOI: 10.3390/en17194764

Non-wires alternatives and microgrid technologies are maturing and present great opportunities for electric utilities to increase the benefits they offer to their customers. They have the potential to decrease the cost of resolving traditional electrical system loading issues, contribute to carbon emissions reductions, and improve the electrical distribution system’s resilience to extreme weather events. The authors of this manuscript present a review of the research on microgrids and their practical applications. This is leveraged with the past work of the authors of this manuscript and other authors to develop specific objectives for microgrids, practical criteria for engineers to consider when deploying microgrids, stochastic methods to optimize microgrid designs, and black start requirements. This guidance is then used for the design of actual networked microgrids being deployed with adaptive boundaries.