Optimally operating microgrids in the presence of electric vehicles and renewable energy resources

Abstract

In modern electric power grids, microgrids are utilized in order to improve electric power grids' technical, economical, and environmental performance. In other words, both operator and consumers benefit the gained improvements by microgrids. However, operators confront certain ordeals to plan and operate the specific microgrid. In this paper, Combined Heat and Power (CHP) units, renewable energy resources, auxiliary thermal units and Electric Vehicles (EVs) are taken into consideration as a specific microgrid in California in the United States. Also, stochastic price of gas and electricity is taken into account. Moreover, uncertainty of the output power associated with non-dispatchable units like wind power plants as well as stochastic availability of the EVs adds to the complexity of the problem. The proposed approach plans to minimize total cost associated with the utilities as well as to minimize released emissions into the environment. Hence, the mentioned problem is a Multi-objective Linear Programming (MIP) which is solved using GAMS software. Finally, it has been showed that obtained solution is robust against uncertain parameters since there is just insignificant difference between solutions under this condition compared to condition that stochastic parameters are not modeled.