Optimal Energy Management System for Storage-Integrated Multi-Energy Microgrids

Abstract

The paper describes the design and evaluation of a multi-energy microgrid (MEMG) that incorporates renewable energy sources (RES), battery storage (BS), fuel cells (FC), electrolyzer (ELZ) as hydrogen vector, and thermal vector to meet residential energy demands. The focus of the paper is on developing an optimal energy management system (EMS) using the ‘fmincon’ optimization algorithm to economically dispatch power between electrical and hydrogen sources while maintaining a balance between thermal and electrical power across all components of the microgrid. The EMS is evaluated using Simulink under different weather scenarios and varying thermal/electrical demands. The results indicate that the proposed EMS effectively controls the power flow from the BS, FC, and ELZ ensuring that minimum costs are imposed on the MEMG while the demands are met under all conditions. Additionally, it suggests that the MEMG is largely selfsufficient, requiring minimal intervention from the grid.