Design and Economic Optimization of Community Load Based Microgrid System Using HOMER Pro

Cost optimization is inevitable when designing and modeling a microgrid. This paper's modeling and economic analysis of an islanded microgrid for the Bhubaneswar location is done using HOMER Pro software. The process flow deals with starting from electric load estimation to the final optimized result analysis. A synthetic community load profile has been generated by the software, and optimal sizing of the hybrid system is done. Optimal sizing of each component is obtained along with their Net Present Cost. The proposed hybrid islanded microgrid contains PV, Diesel Generator, a Battery, and a Converter compared with the base system (only Diesel Generator). From the comparison, the Cost of Energy (COE) is derived. The DC bus voltage is maintained at 48V where PV and battery are connected. The system's energy balance is also analyzed from the hourly time series data. The SOC variation of the Li-ion battery is examined throughout the year. The SOC varies due to the variation in load and penetration of each component to meet the load demand.