Optimal energy management in multi-carrier microgrids: an MILP approach

With the increasing interdependence of various energy carriers, the operation of power systems is found to correlate closely with the limitations on the other energy infrastructures. This paper presents a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model for the microgrid (MG) optimal scheduling considering technical and economic ties between electricity and natural gas (NG) systems. In the proposed methodology, different energy converters and storages, including combined heat and power (CHP) units, electricity/heat storage units, and distributed energy resources (DERs) are considered. The proposed model allows the MG operator to minimize the operation cost of the MG while different operational limitations on the energy hub are satisfied. The model is developed based on AC power flow constraints so as to respect reactive power and voltage security constraints. The efficiency and robustness of the proposed MILP formulation are successfully verified using a large-scale test MG.