Microgrid Energy Management: Classification, Review and Challenges

Microgrids provide a way to introduce ecologically acceptable energy production to the power grid. The main challenges with microgrids are overall control, as well as maintaining safe, reliable and economical operation. Researchers explore implementing these possibilities, but in rapidly expanding areas of research there is always a need to review what has been done so far and give guidelines to new researchers on topics in need of more exploration. This paper offers an extensive literature review of the energy management part of the microgrid control system. Based on extensive literature research, the authors of this article offer their view on energy management system organization. Review through centralized and decentralized structure is given. The most popular research topic is the optimization of energy management. This paper offers a new perspective on the classification of optimization methods used for microgrid energy management, listing and sorting many problem related references. The microgrid is not an assembly of independent elements but rather a coordinated system of intertwined functions. These elements of microgrid functioning, like energy storage systems, demand side management. Electric vehicles are also explored in this paper, giving the current state of their research through references.