Fuel savings in remote Antarctic microgrids through energy management

Research stations in the Antarctic have their own electrical generation facilities and are not interconnected to any grid. Scarcity of fuel and unavailability of interconnection characterize these Antarctic energy systems as mission-critical isolated microgrids. In this work, an energy management strategy has been proposed for South African Antarctic research station SANAE IV for improving fuel efficiency. The proposed strategy consists of optimal dispatch of generation and installation of a thermal load controller for the supply side, and a novel demand response scheme for the demand side. The system was simulated using HOMER Microgrid Analysis Tool. Results showed an 8.30% decrease in fuel consumption, which corresponds to 21,876 litres of diesel annually. These savings can be achieved without major capital expenditure or difficult engineering work.