Establishing and Operating Experiential Benchmark Setups of dc Microgrids: A Guideline

Increased attention is given to microgrids for their numerous advantages over conventional power networks. However, there are still a limited number of real microgrid networks that are currently in service, and this raises shortages in expertise on microgrids testing and evaluation before actual deployment. Low-cost, rapid, realistic, and flexible testing are the key challenges that face the microgrids’ validation. This article focuses on the importance of experiential validations to reduce the risks and ensure the desired microgrids performances. It highlights the major challenges for establishing and operating realistic and accurate experimental microgrid testbeds. It also provides guidelines and recommendations for the validation of microgrid studies. An experimental dc microgrid setup showcase is demonstrated, and helpful tips and remarks are suggested. Different case studies on the developed dc microgrid’s setup are presented, and the authors’ experiences and analyses are shared. The experimental results show the accuracy of microgrid testbeds and their expansion capabilities as well as their effectiveness in testing various microgrid conditions.