Resilience and economics of microgrids with PV, battery storage, and networked diesel generators

Current designs and assessments of microgrids have ignored component reliability, leading to significant errors in predicting a microgrid’s performance while islanded. Existing life cycle cost studies on hybrid microgrids—which combine photovoltaics (PV), battery storage networked emergency diesel generators—also not identified all the potential economic opportunities. Reducing number generators through reliance PV battery, retail bill savings, demand response wholesale market revenue streams are important. This paper provides new statistical methodology that calculates impact distributed energy reliability variability novel use optimization platform REopt explore multiple savings streams. We examine impacts for California, Maryland, New Mexico show microgrid is more resilient cost-effective solution than diesel-only system. Under realistic conditions, can provide higher system when islanded lower under conditions traditional generator-based The improved experienced over last 20 years solar irradiance sees little degradation immediately after hurricane. this backup power as compared significant. net present 19% 35% Maryland microgrid. In negative because, unlike microgrid, has costs without