On Effects of PEVs in Islanded Microgrids Resilience

Abstract

The continuous developments toward active distribution systems have been providing the necessary conditions for islanded microgrids operation. In this mode, the islanded regions are expected to sustain the system operation within adequate limits, locally performing several control actions previously assumed by the main grid. Among these controls, the guarantee of generation/demand balance is one of the most critical aspects, which due to the limited amount of generation capacity can lead to massive load shedding. In this perspective, this paper seeks to evaluate the effects of plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) in the improvement of islanded microgrids resilience. For this, a holistic methodology is proposed to determine whether the implementation of sophisticated controls for the use of PEVs as flexible resources render actual benefit for the islanded network. Simulations are held in the IEEE 34-bus test system considering modifications to represent a microgrid environment. The results indicate that the application of PEVs as flexible resources can significantly enhance microgrids resilience in the mitigation of load shedding.