Flexible Operation of Microgrids Through Operator-Configurable Microgrid Controllers

Conference · 21 February 2025

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1109/GridEdge61154.2025.10887451· OSTI ID:2558976

Curtiss, Peter; Prabakar, Kumaraguru; Vaidhynathan, Deepthi; Ganguly, Subhankar; Kamalinia, Saeed; Jain, Rishabh

Microgrids are becoming critical assets in power distribution systems. This is partly due to the resiliency and reliability challenges faced by power distribution systems in the last decade and partly due to the increased integration of distributed energy resource assets, such as solar photovoltaic. This increased need for microgrids has created a multitude of needs for microgrid controllers. Most microgrid controllers in the past decade have been uniquely programmed or custom programmed to meet the needs of a specific microgrid. Currently, IEEE standards aim to integrate the needs and capabilities of microgrid controllers under a unified umbrella. But the standards do not recommend necessary or appropriate software development practices for microgrid controllers. In addition, the programmable nature and maintenance of controllers are also key characteristics that fall outside the coverage of the standards. In this paper, we present the best software practices that utility engineers and microgrid operators should consider in the microgrid software platform. This paper can be used as an information document for developing documentation of controller requirements and assessing microgrid controller requirements.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Office of Sustainable Transportation. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO)
• DOE Contract Number: AC36-08GO28308
• OSTI ID: 2558976
• Report Number(s): NREL/CP-5D00-94349; MainId:96131; UUID:99d8cbb8-79a8-4f7a-9581-f305ff8e99fa; MainAdminId:76654
• Conference Information: Presented at the 2025 IEEE PES Grid Edge Technologies Conference & Exposition (Grid Edge), 21-23 January 2025, San Diego, California
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

Banshee microgrid
configurable microgrid controller
distributed energy resources
microgrid controller
microgrids
POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION