Planning of HMG with high penetration of renewable energy sources

Hybrid AC–DC microgrid (HMG) allows direct integration of both AC distributed generators (DGs) and DC DGs, AC and DC loads into the grid. The AC and DC sources and loads are separated out and are connected to respective subgrid mainly to reduce the power conversion; thus the overall efficiency of the system increases. This study aims to introduce a novel HMG planning model within a microgrid market environment to maximise net social welfare (NSW). NSW is defined as the present value of total demand payment minus the present value of total planning cost, including the investment cost of distributed energy sources (DERs) and converters, operation cost of DERs, and the cost of energy exchange with the utility grid subject to network constraints. The scenario tree approach is used to model the uncertainties related to load demand, wind speed, and solar irradiation. The effectiveness of the proposed model is validated through the simulation studies on a 28-bus real HMG.