context
Whether or not connected to a central power grid, hybrid microgrids are undergoing considerable development. These microgrids locally supplying a neighbourhood or an industrial area are composed of different sources of distributed, renewable and conventional energies, and co-localised battery storage.
In emerging countries without a national power grid (or an unreliable grid), these systems will be the foundation on which electrification will be deployed. In areas with a reliable grid, microgrids will develop, in particular with respect to energy independence and resiliency.
The dynamics of conventional power assets (diesel and gas generators) limit the penetration of renewable energies because of rapid demand fluctuations in these systems. Integration of battery storage and advanced energy management including short-term production forecasts increase the penetration of renewable energies and limit output curtailment, and also reduce fossil fuel consumption and investments in oversized conventional power assets.
solution
ENERBIRD EMS is a solution for the optimal management of hybrid microgrids. Integration of its advanced energy management strategies in the microgrid design phase guarantees the optimised sizing of equipment. During operation, the EMS ensures optimal management of the system using predictive production data and fine-tunes modelling of the system. The EMS conducts this management by controlling storage charge/discharge capacities, by start-up and shut-down control of thermal generation, and by output curtailment of solar and wind productions if necessary.
Conventional energy management strategies in hybrid microgrids are deterministic strategies according to which the battery is used primarily either to store surplus solar energy during the day and restore it in the evening, or to enable gensets to be stopped when operating out of nominal ranges. These strategies have unique objectives, i.e. maximising the use of solar energy and minimising the operating costs of conventional electricity generation.
In contrast to the above conventional energy management strategies, ENERBIRD EMS is an adaptive EMS. It dynamically chooses among complex strategies to optimise fuel consumptions and the ageing of equipment by its multicriteria optimisation logic and the integration of predictive data (production, charge, status of the hybrid station).
