Evaluating the Impact of Operation Scheduling Methods on Microgrid Reliability Using Monte Carlo Simulation

This paper provides a general methodology for evaluating the reliability of microgrids embedding conventional and renewable energy sources (RESs), as well as energy storage systems (ESSs). The developed reliability assessment model is then leveraged to investigate the impact of different resource scheduling methods on the reliability. The technique applied in this article to assess microgrid reliability is based on the sequential Monte Carlo simulation. In this approach, the coincidence of faults is considered, aside from the annual generation pattern of RESs, i.e., wind and photovoltaic, and the network load profiles. For the sake of considering priority of the microgrid loads, two categories, namely critical and normal demand, are modeled. Open-source MATPOWER Optimal Scheduling Tool (MOST) is employed for optimal management of available energy resources during network contingencies. The developed reliability assessment framework is implemented on two test microgrids. The simulation results prove that the scheduling method of the ESSs can have a significant impact on the reliability of the microgrids and continuous supply of the critical loads.