A Review on Operation, Control and Protection of Smart Microgrids

A microgrid is a group of distributed energy resources and interconnected loads that represents itself to the grid as a single controllable entity able to operate in both grid-connected and islanded modes. The integration of microgrids into the electric grid is the initial step toward the transition from the conventional grid to the `smart grid' - a cyber-enabled power system which provides a bidirectional power and information flow. This enables a pervasive control over distributed grid components as well as a wide area monitoring and protection. This paper presents an updated literature review on the operation, control and protection of microgrids with the integration of distributed energy resources such as wind and solar energies.