Optimization Method for Operation Schedule of Microgrids Considering Uncertainty in Available Data

Operation scheduling in electric power grids is one of the most practical optimization problems as it sets a target for the efficient management of the electric power supply and demand. Advancement of a method to solve this issue is crucially required, especially in microgrids. This is because the operational capability of microgrids is generally lower than that of conventional bulk power grids, and therefore, it is extremely important to develop an appropriate, coordinated operation schedule of the microgrid components. Although various techniques have been developed to solve the problem, there is no established solution. The authors propose a problem framework and a solution method that finds the optimal operation schedule of the microgrid components considering the uncertainty in the available data. In the authors’ proposal, the objective function of the target problem is formulated as the expected cost of the microgrid’s operations. Since the risk of imbalance in the power supply and demand is evaluated as a part of the objective function, the necessary operational reserve power is automatically calculated. The usefulness of the proposed problem framework and its solution method was verified through numerical simulations and the results are discussed.