Cluster operation of microgrids: Assessing economic and resilience gains

Collaborative operation is one way to explore the flexibilities of microgrids for mutual benefit, exploiting the asymmetries in storage capacity and renewable energy sources of microgrids within a cluster. The economic feasibility of a cluster is achieved through operational agreements determined from studies of optimal operation, allowing for changes in topology (how many and which microgrids participate). In this article, we model the operation of collaborative microgrids forming clusters, with a particular focus on individual resilience and the collective benefits of cluster operation. By comparing the performance of microgrids operating in isolation versus those in a collaborative cluster, we assess the economic gains as well as the improvements in resilience. The study consistently demonstrates the advantages of collaborative operation, including the more effective use of renewable energy sources, the quantification and valuation of resilience, financial benefits from better infrastructure utilization, and significantly enhanced energy security for the entire set of microgrids.