Sizing and Operation of an Isolated Microgrid with Cold Storage

Due to the technological developments and the advances of smart control, intermittent production from renewable energy sources can be better exploited locally in the context of a smart microgrid. Energy storage has a key role in achieving this task and batteries are the most suitable candidate. In this paper, a complementary solution is presented where excess electricity is used in a cold storage to produce ice which, when melting, supplies the cooling demand. A detailed model of each component is considered in order to simulate the operation of the entire system. The goal of this paper is the derivation of the optimal size of the different components to yield the minimum levelized cost of electricity. The methodology described is applied to a real case study in Marrakesh, and results illustrate that cold storage is able to reduce the total cost of energy in the context of an isolated microgrid.