Design and Optimization Strategy to Size Resilient Stand-Alone Hybrid Microgrids in Various Climatic Conditions

This paper presents a novel design and a step-by-step strategy to size distributed energy resources in stand-alone military microgrids deployed in geographical locations with diverse environments. First, design examples are simulated to analyze how the sizing of photovoltaic arrays and energy storage systems are affected by an increased level of resilience. We focus on resilience from the perspective of the number of days of autonomy a microgrid can operate in a scenario after an initial incident and how quickly the microgrid can recover to full operation and energy storage post-incident. Then, a novel purposeful decision support strategy is proposed to assist in the selection of the best configuration based on the trade-offs among the key design parameters such as fuel consumption, resilience, and sizes. The model-based design used to create the microgrid simulations is validated by experimental measurements on a test-bed hybrid microgrid. Results show relevant differences in the chosen configuration in the investigated locations, due to the location and the level of accepted trade-off on the newly identified key performance indicator ${NPV} ^{s}$, the net present value of specific scenarios of interest.