Optimal Sizing and Allocation of Distributed Energy Resources in Microgrids Considering Internal Network Reinforcements

Microgrids have become valuable assets because they improve the reliability of consumers while integrating renewables via distributed energy resources (DERs). Thus, making them cost-efficient is essential to secure their proliferation. This paper proposes a new method for optimal design microgrids. The proposed two-stage optimizes size and location DERs, i.e., renewable sources (RESs), generation (DG) units, battery storage systems (BESSs). Furthermore, overall operation microgrid optimized using stochastic scenario-based approach, considering grid-connected unintentional islanded modes. also considers internal network reinforcements. first stage an energy-based formulated as mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) problem, it used whereas second uses AC power flow (AC-OPF) formulate nonlinear (MINLP) model that allocates DERs selects best conductor each circuit. multi-objective nature problem addressed Pareto optimization analyze trade-off between operational capital costs. MINLP linearized through piece-wise approximations solved commercial solvers. impact degradation analyzed simple adaptation Stage 1 model. Results were obtained with data from real university campus CampusGrid, located at State University Campinas (UNICAMP), in São Paulo, Brazil.