Simulation of a Standalone Microgrid with Hybrid Energy Sources

Abstract

Hybrid energy sources are gathering attention due to various reasons such as environmental concerns of greenhouse gas emissions, increasing demand, fossil fuels depletion, and energy efficiency. Microgrids and their control are key elements for integrating renewable and distributed energy resources. Considering that, a microgrid formed by photovoltaic panels, battery energy storage and diesel generator is analyzed in this paper. The control technique of the microgrid, switching between the available sources, and maintaining the parameters of the grid are discussed in detail. The transition of sources between various modes, the causes leading to these transitions and effects are also investigated. Corresponding models are built and simulated in MATLAB/Simulink environment, and the behavior of the microgrid is observed. The main objective of thus formed microgrid is to utilize the renewable source to the maximum, while providing uninterrupted power supply to the critical loads. The diesel generator is employed only when both photovoltaic panels and battery are unable to meet the critical load demand.