Abstract
Solar Photo Voltaic (PV) powered community microgrids are a promising sustainable solution for neighborhoods, residential quarters, and cities in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to meet their energy demands locally and to increase energy independence and resilience. This review provides a comprehensive study on the nature of solar PV community microgrids. Through their capacity to operate in both grid-connected and island modes, community microgrids improve utility system resiliency while also boosting energy security in local states and towns. The integration of solar PV microgrids with the electricity utility grid requires control strategies to facilitate the load sharing between distributed generation units, voltage and frequency control, as well as emergency islanding. Control strategies such as hierarchical control and droop are discussed in the review article. To identify the effectiveness of control strategies through system simulation, a review of various modeling designs of individual components in a solar PV microgrid system is discussed. The article goes on to talk about energy optimization approaches and their economic impact on microgrid systems. Finally, the review concludes with an overview of the technical challenges encountered in the integration of solar PV systems in microgrids.
1 Introduction
Renewable Energy Sources (RES) such as solar, wind, and bioenergy through technology advancement have become affordable and environmentally sustainable energy solutions to generate electricity for developing countries (Yekini et al., 2013). The establishment of electricity infrastructures is costly, thereby small to medium-scale decentral energy solutions like mini-grids and microgrids can be favorable for developing countries (). Microgrids provide a platform for combining Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) into a more secure and sustainable electricity supply network (Phurailatpam, Rajpurohit and Pindoriya, 2011). Hence, renewable microgrids present benefits such as enhancing local energy security and promoting environmental sustainability by introducing energy generation sources with low carbon emissions (Wang, Zhu and Yan, 2018). Microgrids classify as small to medium-scale solutions consisting of Distributed Generation (DG), electrical loads, control, and energy management devices (Ustun, Ozansoy and Zayegh, 2011). Community solar microgrids are described as ten or more residential households alongside the local businesses interconnected with each other to attain the affordability and resilience traits of the microgrid system (Qazi, 2017). Community microgrids in cities have been reported in the literature to make electricity more affordable to individual customers through the shared usage of RES (Palaniappan et al., 2017). A study by (Wang, Zhu and Yan, 2018) indicates that matching solar generation to electrical load demand in a microgrid system has significant economic benefits. Solar PV microgrids are gaining a lot of traction in the residential and commercial sectors as the modern lighting equipment and electrical appliances such as Light Emitting Diode (LED) lights and dryers will shift to DC power type (). Solar PV systems provide significant benefits such as easy installation, lower carbon emissions, and high efficiency in comparison with other RES ().
The global solar PV capacity increased from 290 Giga Watts (GW) to 580 GW between 2016 and 2019 (). This global rise of solar PV systems installation is due to factors like technological progress and declining costs of PV modules (). Solar power plants have cheaper maintenance and repair costs than any other energy-related systems that use RES (). Between 2010 and 2019, the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE) for PV systems decreased from USD 0.378 per kWh to USD 0.068 per kWh (). Projections from a study conducted by () suggest that LCOE for residential systems will further go down to USD 0.05 per kWh by the year 2030. PV module projections reveal a cost decrease from USD 0.61 per Wp to USD 0.16 per Wp between the years 2015 and 2050 in the best-case scenario (Mayer et al., 2015). As solar energy is an intermittent generation type, stand-alone microgrid systems are equipped with an Energy Storage System (ESS) to provide continuous power flow. Depending on the microgrid system’s energy requirements, an ESS in the form of batteries are used to charge and discharge the microgrid DC bus system. The interaction between the components of microgrids and power flow is achieved through a control and Energy Management System (EMS) (Yang et al., 2019). Multiple control strategies have been developed in literature and the most documented effective way to manage power flow in the microgrid is the hierarchical control scheme (Planas et al., 2013; Meng et al., 2016). As outlined in a study conducted by (Tayab et al., 2017) for parallel-connected inverters in a microgrid, the droop control technique is appropriate. Optimized EMS through machine learning techniques are also explored in the review. The structure of the paper is as follows; Section 2 of the review provides an microgrid classification and control. Section 3 then presents the modeling and simulation overview of the various components of solar PV microgrids. Section 4 presents the optimization of microgrid system through EMS. Section 5 discusses the challenges of integrating solar PV systems into microgrid systems, then finally Section 6 presents the conclusions of the review.
2 Microgrid classification and control
A microgrid can be defined as “a group of interconnected loads and Distributed Energy Resources (DER) that act as a single controllable entity with respect to the grid” (USDOE, 2012). A microgrid has three main sections namely, generation, loads, and controls, and these three work within a specialized controlled network together with the grid or in an islanded state (). DG units from RES such as solar energy, wind and hydropower characterize renewable microgrids. A transformer features the Point of Common Coupling (PCC), which serves the function of linking the microgrid to the main grid (Perera, Ciufo and Perera, 2013).
2.1 Microgrid topology
Based on the operational frequency of power generation, three types of microgrid topology can be distinguished (), namely; Direct Current (DC) microgrids, Alternating Current (AC) microgrids, and hybrid AC/DC microgrids.
2.1.1 Direct current microgrid system
A DC microgrid system comprises a Low Voltage AC transmission network (LVAC) to Medium Voltage AC (MVAC) transmission network. DG units with DC power output interact with the other components of the microgrid through a DC transmission bus line (). LVDC microgrids are more prevalent for where the bulk of the loads are responsive electronic devices (Salomonsson, Söder and Sannino, 2009). Medium Voltage DC (MVDC) microgrid systems are widely utilized for heavy industrial loads that service activities such as offshore oil and gas drilling (Reed et al., 2012; Kounev et al., 2014). A solar PV system requires a DC-DC converter to regulate DC voltage output. Some electrical appliances are powered by an AC power supply thereby for a system in Figure 1, a DC/AC converter is required (Justo et al., 2013). Excess power in the DC bus line will be stored in the ESS. Figure 2 illustrates a typical structure of a microgrid system.
FIGURE 1
FIGURE 2
DC microgrid systems are preferred over AC microgrid systems because they are more effective due to the lack of converter requirements. Energy losses occur during each conversion phase thus more energy losses occur in the AC microgrid system compared to the DC microgrid (Shuai et al., 2018; ). Other advantages of DC microgrids include fewer synchronization issues for grid connection and the absence of the need for reactive power compensation.
2.1.2 Alternating current microgrid system
An AC microgrid system comprises a LVAC transmission network to MVAC transmission network. DG units that generate AC power output connect directly to the transmission line while DG units that generate DC power are connected to the transmission line through the DC/AC converter (Justo et al., 2013; ). Conventional electrical infrastructure comprises AC power thereby making the integration of AC microgrid configuration and the utility grid effortless (). DG units for this version of microgrid, include hydropower, biogas, Wind Energy Conversion System (WECS), tidal, and wave turbines (). The AC/DC inverter serves the role of converting AC power to DC power type to supply DC loads and ESS (Lotfi and Khodaei, 2017). The AC/DC inverter usage possesses various challenges such as infringing protection, communication, and operation of the microgrid (Phurailatpam, Rajpurohit and Pindoriya, 2011). Figure 3 depicts the structure of an AC microgrid system.
FIGURE 3
2.1.3 Hybrid alternating current/direct current microgrid systems
A hybrid AC/DC microgrid system configuration comprises multiple AC and DC sources as well as multiple loads connected to the respective AC and DC networks (Liu, Wang and Loh, 2011). AC loads and sources communicate via an AC transmission bus line while the respective DC loads and sources interact via a DC transmission bus line. A key component in this topology is the bidirectional inverter, which facilitates power flow and maintains stable voltage between both buses (
Depending on the direction of power flow in the microgrid system, the bidirectional/Interlinking Converter (IC) performs the duties of either a rectifier or an inverter (
2.2 Features of community solar microgrids
Beyond its classification by topology, microgrids can be classified by location as urban or remote. Community solar microgrids can exist in both urban and remote areas. Communities in remote villages can utilize RES such as solar and wind to provide electricity. Microgrid systems in remote areas are not connected to the grid and therefore mainly depend on power supply from DG units supplemented by energy storage (Phurailatpam, Rajpurohit and Pindoriya, 2011). Community solar microgrids establishment in urban areas has more benefits as compared to in remote areas due to multiple benefits arising from the on-grid operation state (
2.2.1 Power-sharing
Power-sharing in a microgrid system allows for individual customers in a community solar microgrid to utilize power from the solar PV system thus enabling them to save money from their monthly electricity bill purchases (Palaniappan et al., 2017). Due to its capacity to regulate power through a bidirectional converter, hybrid microgrid systems have seen an increase in popularity due to the high introduction of DC compatible loads. Customers in a community solar microgrid may include local businesses, schools, hospitals, and residential households. In the city of Boston, Massachusetts USA, there are several solar community microgrids divided by district zones the city. The community solar microgrids have been set up in locations with critical loads found in hospitals, emergency housing, and supermarkets thereby improving the utility grid network. The community solar microgrid establishment resulted in cost savings between $692 and $180,000 annually for the customers in the city of Boston (Morgan et al., 2016). A campus community solar microgrid study done by (
2.2.2 Self-sufficiency
Another trait of urban microgrids is the capability to disconnect from the electricity grid and operate in the island mode. Disconnection from the grid-connection state to island mode can be a result of a power outage or when the DG unit is capable to provide solely continuous power to the electrical loads without support from the utility grid. According to (Wanitschke, Pieniak and Schaller, 2017), ‘Time-base autarky is defined as the degree of self-sufficiency of the microgrid and is determined to the overall period in which power is neither taken nor fed into the overlying electricity grid-level. A key aspect of self-sufficiency in a microgrid system is the availability of an ESS. Examples of urban microgrid systems reported in the literature are listed in Table 1.
TABLE 1
| Microgrid structure | Components | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| I. Residential hybrid microgrid | Solar PV: 3kWp | |
| PEM fuel cell: 1.2 kW | ||
| Battery capacity:8 kWh | ||
| Maximum electronic load: 5 kW | ||
| II. Grid-connected microgrid system | Solar PV: 11.76 kW | |
| Fuel cell: 10 kW | ||
| Battery: 500Ah | ||
| III. Residential PV grid-connected with battery support | 5 kW solar PV | Saxena et al. (2017) |
| IV. Rural microgrid | 2,16 kW solar PV | Phurailatpam, Rajpurohit and Pindoriya, (2011) |
| Lead acid: 20Ah | ||
| V. DC microgrid in rural community | 5 kW solar | |
| 5 kW wind | ||
| 5 kW fuel cell | ||
| VI. Hybrid microgrid system | 33 kW PV | Kabalci, Irgan and Kabalci, (2018) |
| 100kW fuel cell | ||
| 50kW wind turbine | ||
| VII. DC and AC hybrid microgrid system | Fuel cell: 40 kWp | |
| Wind turbine: 35 kWp | ||
| Solar PV: 30 kWp |
Microgrid systems reviewed.
2.3 Microgrid control
Communication and execution of instructions between the individual components of a solar PV microgrid system are enabled by a control scheme that operates via the system’s energy requirements (
FIGURE 4

Hierarchical level control structure for microgrids. SOURCE: (Shuai et al., 2018).
The hierarchical control encapsulates other various control schemes such as autonomous control and agent-based control (
2.3.1 Inner level control
The inner level control includes the current and voltage control loop for managing the output power of DERs in a microgrid system (Palizban and Kauhaniemi, 2015). PV modules, Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT), DC/DC converter, and DC/AC inverter are all part of the solar PV system’s control framework. This degree of control supports both the solar PV system’s island mode and its grid-connected condition. On the one hand (Vignesh and Sundaramoorthy, 2016) argue that the active and reactive power relationship should be controlled for the grid-connected state, on the other hand, voltage and frequency relationships are to be controlled for the off-grid state.
2.3.2 Primary control
The primary control has the function of providing stability for local voltage control thus enhancing system performance (
FIGURE 5

Conventional droop characteristics (A) P-f droop (B) Q-V droop (
From Figure 5, a rise in the frequency (f) and voltage (V) coincides with a decrease in both the active and reactive power, respectively. A change in active power and reactive power will lead to the linear change in the voltage - frequency as per the droop character line (Zhou, Guo and Ma, 2017). Figure 5B indicates a negative correlation relationship between the voltage magnitude and the reactive power while Figure 5A shows the negative correlation between the frequency magnitude and the active power. Figure 6 shows the electrical description of the droop control.Where PI Proportional Integral (PI) controller, represents the output voltage of the converter, represents the output reference voltage at no load, represents the virtual output impedance and represents the output current. The conventional droop technique is reported to pose various inherent problems associated with limited transient response (Khaledian and Aliakbar Golkar, 2017; Tayab et al., 2017). Studies from (
FIGURE 6

Control loop of the droop technique (
The PI control is utilized for the reduction of the losses that occur during frequency synchronization (Tegling et al., 2016). A study by (Khaledian and Aliakbar Golkar, 2017) provides an overview of the virtual impedance loop-based control technique by analyzing the active and reactive power dependency through applying a step change via a controlled current source. The simulation results revealed that the increase of the reactive power droop gain improved the power-sharing performance between the components in the microgrid system.
2.3.3 Secondary control
The secondary level of hierarchical control provides managerial control as compared to the primary level. Its core function is to provide supervision and monitoring service by adjusting any variations of frequency and voltage in the system (Palizban and Kauhaniemi, 2015; Tegling et al., 2016;
2.3.3.1 Centralized control
The centralized control comprises a Microgrid System Central Controller (MGCC) which oversees the operation of the microgrid (Mingsheng et al., 2018). For grid-connected states, a reference value of frequency and voltage amplitude is established from the utility grid and compared with that from the DERs (Palizban and Kauhaniemi, 2015). Some of the functions of the central controller include synchronization loop for the facilitation of transition from off-grid to on-grid, an approximation of grid impedance for forecast control, and operation of the import or export of active and reactive power to and from the grid (Planas et al., 2013).
2.3.3.2 Decentralized control
For the decentralized control, each subsystem in the microgrid possesses its controller and through it, be able to make and execute instructions based on information obtained from local measurements (voltage and frequency) (Pourbabak, Chen and Zhang, 2017). Each sub-system has the capability of communicating with other sections via a communication link and through it, be able to correct measurement errors via the primary control. For DC microgrids, this type of control achieves the detection of voltage variations via interface converters in the DC common bus (Zhang et al., 2018).
2.3.4 Tertiary control
This is the highest level of hierarchical control whose sole purpose is the management of power flow between the main grid and the microgrid. The management occurs via the regulation of amplitude voltage and frequency (Palizban and Kauhaniemi, 2015;
TABLE 2
| Control method | Features | References |
|---|---|---|
| Predictive control | Use of machine learning for power management in a microgrid | Wibowo et al., 2017; Tungadio et al., 2018; |
| Droop control | Sharing the demand power between generators in autonomous microgrids where there is no support from the electricity distribution grid | |
| Centralized control | Microgrid System Central Controller (MGCC) which oversees the operation of the microgrid | Planas et al., 2013; Palizban and Kauhaniemi, 2015; Mingsheng et al., 2018 |
| Decentral control | Each subsystem of the microgrid system has its own control | Pourbabak, Chen and Zhang, 2017; Zhang et al., 2018 |
Summary of control methods for microgrid systems.
3 Modeling and simulation of solar photo voltaic microgrids
This section of the comprises of the components utilized for the modeling of solar PV microgrids during both the grid-connected and island mode of operation. Components of solar PV microgrids include DC/DC converter, inverter, solar PV modules, ESS, and electrical loads. The review encapsulates the developed solar PV modules and their performance under various software environments. The DC/DC converter performs the function of converting the DC voltage source to another DC voltage source of different magnitude. The DC/AC inverter performs the function of converting a DC voltage source to an AC voltage source and synchronizes the AC output to the utility grid (Yang et al., 2019). The usage of an inverter in a microgrid system results in drawbacks such as harmonics and voltage imbalances to mention a few. To address the mentioned drawbacks, the inverters are equipped with Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) to maintain stability in the output waveforms. To ensure an efficient operation for a solar PV microgrid, an ESS is necessary to reduce the intermittent and variability of solar PV output (
3.1 Solar photo voltaic system
3.1.1 Model structure
A series of PV cells connected form a solar PV module. A collection of modules connected in either series or parallel arrangement form a solar PV array (Villalva, Gazoli and Filho, 2009). A common model for a solar cell is the one diode model (
FIGURE 7

Equivalent circuit solar cell (
In the circuit diagram in Figure 7, represents the series resistance and represents the shunt resistance that is inversely proportional to the leakage current. Where and represent the diode current and shunt leakage current respectively (Prakash and Singh, 2016). The generic mathematical model of an ideal PV cell is expressed in Eq. 3.1:The solar cell is expressed by the parameters , representing the current generated by the incident light, which is the diode saturation current as well as , representing the series and shunt equivalent resistance of the array. The ideality factor represents the ideality factor which is a constant that is dependent on the manufacturer’s PV cell technology (
3.1.2 Solar photo voltaic array models
Various solar PV array modules have been developed and integrated into a software environment such as MATLAB/Simulink, Personal Simulation Program with Integrated Circuit Emphasis (PSpice), and PSCAD to mention a few (Nguyen and Nguyen, 2015;
TABLE 3
| Model type | Module capacity | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Single-Diode model (SDM) in MATLAB/Simulink | 50 Wp solar module | |
| Hybrid model on MATLAB/PSpice environment | Solar cell at irradiance (0.4 kW/m2–1.0 kW/m2) in increments of 0.2 kW/m2 | Jiang et al. (2011) |
| Multi-dimension diode PV module on the MATLAB/Simulink environment | Solar PV module under STC | Soon and Low, (2015) |
| Comparison of DDM (Model 1), iterative Newton-Raphson model (model 2), and proposed model (model 3) on MATLAB | 50 Wp under STC |
PV array models designed in software environments’
3.2 Battery energy storage system modeling
The BESS performs the function of mitigating the power supply variability between the load and generation (
3.2.1 Model structure
The capacity and lifecycle of BESS are reliant on factors such as Depth of Discharge (DOD), rate of discharge, and temperature. The capacity of a battery is mathematically expressed by Eq. 3.2 (
3.2.2 Economics of battery energy storage system
Numerous studies have been done in the literature on the economics of using different types of batteries in microgrid systems. Battery types like lithium-ion are becoming more affordable, making them competitive for inclusion in microgrid systems (
TABLE 4
| Applications | Battery types | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Grid-connected solar PV system with battery support for residential usage in Dymola software environment | Performance comparison of lead-acid battery with a lithium-ion battery | Vetter and Rohr, (2014) |
| Battery capacity: 6.3 kWh | ||
| Residential battery storage connected to the grid | Lithium-ion battery (3.88 kWh) | |
| 75 Ah | ||
| Modeling design of off-grid microgrid system with battery storage | Comparison of lead-acid and lithium-ion battery (94.5 kWh and 49.1 kWh) | Moncecchi et al. (2018) |
| Solar PV pumping system with battery storage | Techno-economic analysis of lead-acid (7.55 kW) and lithium-ion battery (7.75 kW) | Khiareddine, Gam and Mimouni, (2019) |
Overview of BESS models.
The efficiency of lithium-ion batteries is dependent on factors such as depth of discharge (DoD), charge factor, current, time of float charge, and discharge (Kurzweil, 2015). Li-ON batteries are mostly utilized in solar community solar microgrids as they display an 80% DoD as compared to the 50% DoD of lead-acid batteries (Vetter and Rohr, 2014).
3.3 Inverter modeling
Energy conversion is necessary for a microgrid system to enable the power flow interactions amongst the individual components (Shintre and Mulla, 2016). Inverters can be classified as Current Source Inverters (CSI) and VSIs concerning the power supply (
3.3.1 Harmonics in inverters
Harmonics are characterized by distortion and divergence of the current and voltage waveforms from the sinusoidal waveforms (
3.3.2 Sinusoidal pulse width modulation inverter
The SPWM technique is capable of voltage modulation for each cycle with a fixed switching frequency (Kim, 2017). For each half-cycle of this technique, multiple pulses occur, and the duration of each pulse varies according to the sine wave scale. The sinusoidal waveform is generated from the comparison between two waveforms namely, the triangular wave (a carrier wave) and the control wave (sinusoidal). The sinusoidal AC voltage reference signal Vref and the high-frequency carrier signal Vc go through a comparison device and the intersection of the two signals indicate the switching states of the inverter (
FIGURE 8

The sinusoidal PWM technique process (Kim, 2017).
It is visible that when Vref > Vc, the pole voltage (Vdc/2) is at its maximum, and when Vref < Vc, the pole voltage is at its minimum (- Vdc/2). Linear modulation can only be achieved when the amplitude of Vref remains below the peak of the Vc, i. e Vref ≤ Vdc/2 (Kim, 2017). Through the variation of the modulation waveform, control of the amplitude and frequency of the output can be achieved. The relation between the carrier and modulating waves is denoted by the Modulation Index (MI) (Eq. 3.3.) (
TABLE 5
| Inverter type | Feature | List of references |
|---|---|---|
| GFC in an island AC microgrid system | Bidirectional converter to operate as the GFC | Silva et al. (2014) |
| Bi-directional converters in a hybrid microgrid system | Usage of the feed-back based control approaches for energy management in the microgrid system | |
| Parallel converters in an autonomous microgrid system | Estimation of the correct number of inverters for improving power output | Vazquez et al. (2012) |
| Hybrid current-controlled VSI and voltage-controlled VSI in an autonomous microgrid | Usage of controlled droop method to enable the smart distribution of power in the microgrid | |
| Multi-level inverter for solar PV-based grid-connected inverter | Improvement of the wave shape and reduction of the THD in output voltage waveforms | Sarwar and Asghar, (2011) |
| Parallel-connected single-phase PV-based inverter | Comparison of the simulated and measured output voltage of the inverter with a 500 W resistive load | Kulkarni and Nehete, (2014) |
| Harmonic voltage measurements in a household | Analysis of THD in island and grid connected mode of operation | Nomm, Ronnberg and Bollen, (2018) |
Overview of inverter models.
3.4 Electrical load modeling
Modeling of electric loads in a microgrid system is necessary for energy management amongst the components in the system. Loads in a microgrid system affect the control strategies and stability of the microgrid (Peng et al., 2022). Critical, general, sensitive, and non-sensitive, controllable, and non-controllable loads are all types of loads found in microgrid systems. A load management system is essential in a microgrid system because critical loads found in hospitals and nursing homes require an ongoing supply of electricity (Moran, 2016). Load modeling is a key technique for energy management strategies that involve estimating the energy consumption of an electrical load. Creating load models is a mammoth task due to a variety of factors such as weather and dynamic human behaviors (
3.4.1 Static load models
Static load models represent the active power and the reactive power in a system as a function of the voltage and frequency variations (
3.4.2 Dynamic models
Dynamic load models represent the active and reactive powers in a system as a function of voltage and time (
TABLE 6
| Load components | Model structure | Simulation results |
|---|---|---|
| (a) Incandescent model | (a) Hybrid constant impedance and current model (ZI) and constant impedance model (Z) | (a) The ZI model accurately represented the measurement curve while the Z model did not |
| (b) Fluorescent model | (b) The constant current model (I) and hybrid ZI model | (b) The I model could simulate the static characteristics of the fluorescent active power |
| (c) Induction cooker model (Zhao et al., 2010) | (c) I model and ZI model | (c) The I model and ZI model could simulate the active power and reactive power characteristics of the induction cooker respectively |
| 22 kV electrical substation ( | ZIP and exponential model | The ZIP and exponential model’s simulation results displayed similar values to the measured values of active power. The ZIP model did not accurately display similar values to the measured reactive power |
| Modern household appliances test in a laboratory ( | Identification of ZIP load parameters through varying the voltage of the individual appliances | The results of the experiment reveal that modern appliance is infused with a power correction factor thus enabling the development of precise ZIP load model in comparison with the measured values of power |
Examples of modeling of common load components in a microgrid system.
4 Optimization of microgrids through energy management system strategies
Control and EMS strategies are essential to the effectiveness of a microgrid systems. Optimization of microgrid systems can be conducted in optimization software such as HOMERPro (
4.1 Linear programming
The Linear Programming (LP) technique utilizes forecasts and predictions to optimize microgrid systems. Optimization models such as Distributed Energy Resources Customer Adoption Model (DER-CAM) have been utilized to encompass Mixed-Integer Linear Programming (MILP) for microgrids with various energy types (Mashayekh et al., 2017). found out that through MILP, multi-modeling nodes were utilized for optimal siting of electrical and heating/cooling networks (Santos et al., 2021). used MILP for optimal dispatch strategy for grid-connected microgrids in the simulation environment, HOMERPro and MATLAB, and the results demonstrated that the MILP strategy produced lower NPC costs than the Load Following (LF) and Cycle Charging (CC) strategies. Through linear programming, the standard and forecast load profiles of the community will aid in the effective sizing and design techniques of the microgrid system through control algorithms. In a microgrid system, LP optimization reduced the cost of variable-priced electricity by 19% less than heuristic state machine logic, according to a study by (Shufian and Mohammad, 2022).
4.2 Dynamic programming
Another machine learning technique for the optimization model of microgrid energy management is Dynamic Programming (DP). The DP technique uses the lowest production costs and meets the necessary constraints (
TABLE 7
| Optimization technique | Description | List of references |
|---|---|---|
| Linear programming | Optimization of problems subject to certain limitations | (Mashayekh, Stadler, Goncalo Cardoso et al., 2017; Shrivastwa et al., 2019; Wang et al., 2020; Santos et al., 2021; Shufian and Mohammad, 2022) |
| Dynamic programming | Process of resolving problems and finding the best decision one after another | |
| Optimal system simulation on HOMERPRO | Simulation analysis to identify the least levelized Cost of Energy (COE) |
Optimization techniques reviewed in literature.
5 Challenges of solar community microgrids
The integration of solar PV as a DG unit in community microgrids brings about technical challenges through the three modes of operation. The challenges experienced by solar community microgrids in urban settlements are more prominent during the on-grid operation mode (Qazi, 2017;
5.1 Microgrid stability
Grid-connected microgrids are more vulnerable to instability issues in comparison with island microgrids due to the synchronization of the voltage and frequency with the main utility grid. Conventional power stations in SSA are of unidirectional power type and thereby susceptible to faults that may result in power outages (Sampath, Prasad and Samikannu, 2018). Thereby, there is a need for advanced control strategies that can safeguard the integration of microgrids with utility grids in SSA. The integration of solar microgrids with the utility grid requires a control strategy to avoid deviation of the system voltage and frequency from its setpoint value (Sivarasu, Chandira Sekaran and Karthik, 2015; Kumar and Ravikumar, 2016).
5.2 Protection
The integration of micro-sources with a unidirectional electricity network poses challenges in analyzing the direction and magnitude of current flow in the system. Solar PV is weather-dependent RETs and thereby it experiences intermittent power generation throughout the day (Mariam, Basu and Conlon, 2016). The variability in current flow in the system results in a mal-operation of protection devices in networks as the fault current path changes depending on fault location (Miveh et al., 2012;
6 Conclusion
The paper provides a comprehensive examination of microgrid system control techniques, simulation modeling, and optimization strategies. Through the shared use of renewable energy resources integrated into their building, energy management in a microgrid settlement allows an individual customer to realize cost savings. Control strategies such as droop control have been widely used in microgrid systems due to their ability to operate without communication links and their economical nature. The review encompasses the performance of the distinct model components of microgrids which were evaluated using a variety of software environments, including MATLAB/Simulink, PSCAD, and Pspice. Simulation analysis revealed double-diode models depicted a solar PV module more accurately in comparison with single-diode models. Lithium-ion batteries have been preferred as storage devices for microgrid systems due to their ability to have high energy density and longer lifespans compared to other battery types such as lead-acid and nickel-cadmium batteries. Optimization techniques for microgrid systems utilize machine learning tools for economic dispatch of power usage. The integration of solar PV as a DG unit in community solar microgrids brings about technical challenges through the three modes of operation. The challenges experienced by solar microgrids in urban settlements are more prominent during the on-grid operation mode due to synchronization and protection issues. Techniques such as the Model Predictive Control and other various communication protocols which encompass machine learning can alleviate the challenges of grid-connected microgrids. A concept of microgrid digital twins, which is a digital representation of a microgrid that interacts with the physical microgrid in real-time, will be developed in the near future. Protection issues rising from faults can be mitigated through the new technology of microgrid digital twins. The integration of solar PV systems into micro-grids is more explored due to their affordability and advancements in technology can alleviate their problems stemming from their intermittent nature.
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Summary
Keywords
solar PV systems, microgrid, hierarchical control, total harmonic distortion, load modeling
Citation
Seane TB, Samikannu R and Bader T (2022) A review of modeling and simulation tools for microgrids based on solar photovoltaics. Front. Energy Res. 10:772561. doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2022.772561
Received
08 September 2021
Accepted
07 September 2022
Published
29 September 2022
Volume
10 - 2022
Edited by
K. Sudhakar, Universiti Malaysia Pahang, Malaysia
Reviewed by
Antonio Scala, National Research Council (CNR), Italy
Ajith Gopi, Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology, India
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© 2022 Seane, Samikannu and Bader.
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*Correspondence: T. B. Seane, tumelo.seane@studentmail.biust.ac.bw
This article was submitted to Sustainable Energy Systems and Policies, a section of the journal Frontiers in Energy Research
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