Leveraging smart grid technology and using microgrid as a vehicle to benefit DER integration

Integrations of distributed energy resources (DERs), energy storage, and microgrid have introduced new challenges and opportunities for managing power system operation. Source and load control at the distribution level is quickly becoming a key requirement of this evolving system. Voltage regulation, frequency response baselining, anti-islanding, voltage ride through, and reactive margin support are amongst the technical challenges in the Smart Grid era. Microgrid can be used as a vehicle to integrate more DERs using asynchronous interconnection to the main ac grid. This approach helps to create frequency islands facilitating distributed frequency control and can be helpful in a grid with large scale renewable resources. Centralized protection and control (CPC) within a substation can provide a significant benefit in achieving this objective. This paper discusses the benefit of CPC, a smart grid technology, for more DER integration using microgrid as an important component of the solution.

I. Introduction

Active distribution networks [1] and microgrid development integrating distributed energy resources (DERs) are changing power system characteristics, at a time when utilities are also focusing on improving customer service and resiliency of the grid. Distributed frequency control of the grid will encourage DER expansions when contained with a microgrid as a self-contained power system. Microgrids can be asynchronously connected with the main grid to allow distributed frequency control.