Load Frequency Control of Microgrid System by Battery and Pumped-Hydro Energy Storage

Energy security is one of the main factors in the development and diffusion of microgrid applications. In networks operating without storage, the operation of their systems is greatly affected by sudden load demand and intermittent generation fluctuations. The main purposes of using energy storage systems in microgrids are stabilizing the intermittent generation of renewable energy sources locally, to ensure that energy production matches energy demands, participating in the frequency regulation process, maintaining the energy balance between generation and demand in renewable energy microgrids, and increasing energy reliability. This study investigates the frequency and power balance of an isolated microgrid system, by including storage systems (battery and pump-hydro). Realistic data for wind and solar sources are used for the optimal tuning of the proportional-integral controller, using the integral of the absolute error criterion multiplied by time, with a Quasi-Newton method. Simulation studies have been carried out, to investigate the performance of the microgrid system, by including the hydroelectric power plant system with pump storage for 24 h, under various operating conditions. The results reveal that by including the storage units in the system, it exhibits a more consistent and smooth dynamic performance, using renewable energy efficiently.