Optimal Active and Reactive Power Flow Management in Microgrid: Moroccan VS Time of Use System Tariff

This paper introduces an innovative Active and Reactive Energy Management System (AR-EMS) tailored for optimizing power flow within a Moroccan smart microgrid. It investigates how different electricity price profiles influence energy flow distribution, Battery Storage System (BSS) longevity, and financial gains. Specifically, it compares two tariffs: the Moroccan Tiered Tariff (TTS), which is based on consumption bands over a 30-day horizon, and the European Time of Use Tariff (TOU), which varies hourly according to peak and off-peak hours. The proposed AR-EMS computes optimal active and reactive power setpoints for each energy source over 30 days and relates to forecasted load consumption and Photovoltaic (PV) power output. Its primary objectives include reducing energy bills, mitigating BSS degradation costs, optimizing the Peak-to-Average Ratio (PAR), and minimizing environmental impact. These objectives are optimized through Multi-Objective Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Through critical comparative analysis using real-world data, the study highlights the advantages of the AR-EMS over existing strategies that only manage active power flow (A-EMS). Notably, the AR-EMS demonstrates a 29% reduction in both total energy bills and carbon emissions, while also improving the power factor by 26% compared to the A-EMS.