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The modern society is highly dependent on electricity. At the same time, there is a huge concern about the greenhouse gas emissions and the current way of power generation, mainly with fossil fuels and high costs. The deployment of microgrids may be a solution for both questions. They are a solution to the supply reliability problem through the existent distributed energy resources (DERs) connected to the grid near customers, and the environmental concern is met by applying renewable sources to generate power. Beyond these goals, there is a supply cost reduction and revenue maximization through power trades with the main grid, which is also considered as desired matches. Using proper control strategies and robust communications techniques, microgrids generate, distribute and regulate the flow of power to consumers through a centralized or decentralized control. Smart microgrids are an ideal way to integrate renewable resources on the community level and allow for customer participation in all levels of the power market. Hence, a distribution system may evolve to a microgrid that may become a smart grid. Because the level of intelligence, communication, and control may vary, this chapter assumes the term microgrids in a general sense, which may stand for an ordinary microgrid or a smart grid. The goal of this chapter is to provide a brief overview on microgrids, including the state of art about the main motivation for the emergence of these networks. A survey on some existing microgrids around the world focusing on the different architecture and applications, e.g., hospitals, military bases and small isolated communities is carried out. Next, a typical microgrid’s architecture is presented. Some other topics regarding generation resources, energy storage options, suitable communication technologies, and infrastructure are discussed. From the economic and social point of view, microgrid’s effects are addressed by highlighting the main benefits. In addition, technical issues and future challenges are discussed in this chapter. |
