Cost-aware real-time power management of grid-tied microgrids based on battery life regulation

This paper presents a methodology to include battery life regulation in real-time power management of grid-tied microgrids. For this purpose, first a framework for estimating battery life in the presence of partial charge/discharge cycles is developed. Based on the developed life estimation technique, two alternative methods for battery life oriented power management in microgrids are proposed. Both methods try to reduce the final cost of energy in a grid-tied microgrid while achieving certain battery life objectives. Advantages and drawbacks of each management method in terms of performance and flexibility are elaborated in detail. Simulation studies are carried out for a microgrid composed of local wind and solar generations, batteries, peak load of 41kW, and a utility connection. Results from different life objectives are compared with each other to show the effectiveness of proposed methods in reducing the operational cost of the microgrid as well as extending the battery life.