Educational microgrid — A microgrid training platform and emulator

摘要

With the ever growing demand for power and development of renewable energy technologies, the concepts of distributed generation and microgrids are quickly coming to the forefront. A microgrid is an electrical power grid where the load and power generation are within close proximity. Increasingly educational institutions are trying to capitalize on the need to educate future and current professional engineers in the design, maintenance, and operation of a microgrid. The main concept behind our project is to create a live, scaled down microgrid system which incorporates renewable energy sources and interconnection to utility power, all using industry-standard equipment. Our educational microgrid platform will allow for comprehensive education with practical hands-on experience which will be useful for practicing engineers, undergrad students, as well as technologists and technicians. We have designed and tested a prototype that can be used as a basis for future instruction for the subject, which will in turn benefit students, education, and the industry as a whole.