MW Scale Microgrid Utilizing Renewable Energy Sources for an Island Application

Abstract

Renewable energy technologies are gaining momentum for power generation in grid connected as well as off-grid applications. Extending a traditional grid for rural electrification programs and islands could be quite expensive and this is motivating load centers to evaluate microgrid applications. Several smaller size (less than 1 MW) capacity micro grids are currently powering remote villages and use a mix of renewable technologies depending on the availability of the renewable energy resources. Large size micro grids (more than 1 MW) are expected to be developed in certain locations, particularly the islands as the islands developed for tourism have a huge power requirement. This paper aims at presenting a potential approach for developing large scale microgrid utilizing renewable energy resources for an island network. Various combinations of renewable generation technologies have been assessed and techno-economic analysis for AC grid is presented.