Replacing Transmission Infrastructure with Solar and Energy Storage Systems: An Islanded Microgrid Case Study

Substantial decreases in the cost of solar and energy storage systems create suitable conditions for implementing microgrids that operate independently from the main transmission/distribution grids. Such microgrids concept is particularly of interest for islanded and remote communities, which oftentimes rely on expensive energy resources to supply their demand. This paper presents the design of a microgrid for an island community, in which transmission infrastructure (an aging subsea cable that connects to the mainland grid) is replaced by solar and energy storage systems. Based on historical demand data and solar generation forecasts, an optimization framework is proposed to determine sizes of the microgrid components such that the local generation resources are self-sufficient and reliable. Results of this analysis show that, indeed, solar and energy storage systems are viable choices for implementing a microgrid and replacing transmission infrastructure.