Impact of electrical storage and grid upgrade on the optimal design and operation of a microgrid

The aim of this paper is to analyse how electrical storage and grid upgrades influence the optimal design and operation of a microgrid. A multi-objective (cost versus carbon emissions) mixed integer linear programming model is developed and applied to a microgrid case study. The optimisation model is based on the coupling of an energy hub modelling approach for system design and operation, and a linearized electrical grid model for steady-state power flow calculation in order to optimize the overall design and operation of a microgrid. The trade-off between electrical storage (ES) and grid upgrade options is examined and performance is compared to a reference case. Additionally, the optimal locations, capacities and charging power of an electrical storage are determined. The results showed that the grid upgrade is only viable in the lowest carbon emissions after the installation of the electrical storage.