Geospatial approaches to design of wind power transmission networks and operation of microgrids

In this study, we propose a four-dimensional geographic information system (4D-GIS) and present two of its applications. First, we introduce a mesh-type model of spatiotemporal data integration for 4D-GIS. The first application of the 4D-GIS is in the design of wind power transmission networks. In network design, 3D geospatial data and time change data are integrated as a cost surface; a combination of the genetic algorithm and a modified Prim search method generates power transmission networks that minimize the defined cost function. The second application is in operation support of clustered microgrids. The 4D-GIS is used in the visualization of power consumption changes in the microgrids. We also introduce a power information platform for processing big data, such as power consumption data collected from buildings, homes, etc. The optimal configuration of power information platforms in microgrid clusters is also proposed.