Day-ahead unit commitment model for microgrids

• Published in: IET generation, transmission & distribution Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 1 - 9
• Main Authors: Deckmyn, Christof, Van de Vyver, Jan, Vandoorn, Tine L, Meersman, Bart, Desmet, Jan, Vandevelde, Lieven
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: The Institution of Engineering and Technology 05.01.2017
• Subjects: air pollution; carbon compounds; CO2; Congestion; congestion management approach; congestion signals; day‐ahead time horizon; day‐ahead unit commitment model; demand side management; demand side participation strategy; discharge schedule; Distributed generation; distributed power generation; distribution system operators; DSO; Electric vehicles; Emissions control; fuel cell; fuel cell vehicles; heuristics‐based optimisation methodology; microgrid operating costs; microgrid units; microturbines; Operating costs; optimal scheduling; optimisation; power generation dispatch; power generation scheduling; power system security; renewable energy resources; renewable energy sources; Schedules; Scheduling; storage device; storage unit; system security; turbines; UC model; Unit commitment; unit scheduling; unit scheduling; UC model; electric vehicles; day-ahead unit commitment model; CO2; distributed power generation; power generation scheduling; system security; storage unit; microturbines; optimisation; microgrid operating costs; day-ahead time horizon; heuristics-based optimisation methodology; congestion signals; storage device; optimal scheduling; DSO; renewable energy sources; discharge schedule; turbines; renewable energy resources; congestion management approach; power system security; power generation dispatch; carbon compounds; fuel cell; fuel cell vehicles; distribution system operators; air pollution; demand side management; microgrid units; demand side participation strategy
• ISSN: 1751-8687; 1751-8695; 1751-8695
• DOI: 10.1049/iet-gtd.2016.0222

In this study, a heuristics-based optimisation methodology for a day-ahead unit commitment (UC) model in microgrids is proposed. The model aims to schedule the power among the different microgrid units while minimising the operating costs together with the CO2 emissions produced. A storage device is added where the charge and discharge schedule is calculated according to both objectives. In addition, as a part of the demand side participation strategy, a charging schedule was determined for the electric vehicles (EV) in order to increase the system security and further reduce the costs and emissions. A congestion management approach is also introduced, which eliminates congestions by effective unit scheduling according to congestion signals provided by the distribution system operators. The complete day-ahead time horizon is divided in 96 time steps (each with a 15 min time span), which makes the UC problem more complicated. The studied system includes renewable energy resources, a storage unit, two microturbines, a fuel cell and EVs. The results demonstrate that the proposed model is robust and is able to reduce the microgrid operating costs and emissions by optimal scheduling of the microgrid units, and is able to take into account local congestion problems.