Utility Scale Microgrid Controller Power Hardware-in-the-Loop Testing

This paper presents the design and demonstration of a scenario-based testing plan for ComEd’s microgrid master controller (MMC) for a utility scale community microgrid which is designed for 7MW aggregated load. The controller implements a supervisory hierarchical control structure for supporting grid-connected and islanded modes of operation for this state-of-the-art microgrid cluster. Using day-ahead and economic dispatch functions, the MMC optimizes the use of generation assets and battery energy storage, making it economically viable. The power hardware-in-the-loop (PHIL) results for demonstrating the controller capabilities are presented here.