An Overview of Hierarchical Control Strategies for Microgrids

Microgrid with distributed generation is one of the key building blocks of the smart grid that facilitates the integration of renewable energy resources. The concept of hierarchical control is drawing particular attention since it incorporates multiple control levels and hence increases the efficiency and flexibility of microgrid operation. This paper highlights an overview of the state-of-art strategies at both primary and secondary levels of hierarchical control within a microgrid. Several research gaps and possible trends are also identified and discussed for the control strategies and hierarchical structures towards controlling multiple microgrids.