Sensitivity Region-Based Optimization for Maximizing Renewable Generation Hosting Capacity of an Islanded Microgrid

Renewable energy based distributed generators are key components in islanded microgrids. However, their power intermittency and uncertainty may impair power quality and cause system operating constraint violations. It is imperative to evaluate and maximize the hosting capacity of an islanded microgrid for renewable generation. Besides, conventional optimization methods focus on improving the solution robustness on constraints under uncertainties but ignoring that on the optimization objective. To address these unsolved issues, a sensitivity region (SR) based optimization method for maximizing renewable generation hosting capacity of an islanded microgrid is proposed. This paper firstly proposes an optimization model considering microgrid frequency variation and microturbine droop control functionality. Secondly, SR and feasibility-SR are adopted to quantify solution robustness against uncertainties of renewable generation and load. It is expected to enlarge these two regions to cover all the possible uncertainty realizations, thus providing robust solutions. Last, this paper develops an SR based optimization method with a new solution algorithm. Through comprehensive numerical simulations, the proposed SR based hosting capacity maximization method is verified with high solution robustness on both objective and operating constraints.