Abstract

There are many technical challenges for integration of renewable energy sources (RESs) in the context of microgrids. Among these challenges, spinning reserve energy management should be accurately considered in the microgrid scheduling system for a better system operation. This study presents a methodology to model and analyse a novel scheme to integrate RESs, particularly photovoltaic (PV) systems, in diesel generation-based isolated microgrids. The proposed approach considers the uncertainties of PV power generation and demand, simultaneously, by solving a bi-level multi-objective optimisation problem using information gap decision theory (IGDT). The proposed energy management system is formulated considering spinning reserve constraints and the uncertainties associated with PV power generation and load, by solving a unit commitment problem. This method, a non-probabilistic approach, does not require the probability density function of uncertain parameters and provides a robust framework to better understand the potential savings due to the PV integration. In order to test and perform the analysis, realistic data from a 20 MW hybrid PV project is used as a case study. Furthermore, the proposed method is compared with probabilistic techniques, such as Monte Carlo simulations and scenario-based stochastic programming technique. The presented studies demonstrate applicability of the proposed model for real microgrids.