Direct Load Control in Microgrids to Enhance the Performance of Integrated Resources Planning

Load management is usually not considered in details during the planning stage due to its complexity and uncertainty in nature. However, this practice is changed in microgrids since the load composition in microgrids is more specific and manageable. In addition, the development of advanced metering infrastructure provides a more convenient mechanism for data collection and system control. This paper presents an integrated resources planning model based on optimal direct load control (DLC) (such as control of the air-conditioning load) in microgrids for load shifting and peak shaving to reduce/defer investments and minimize total social costs. This paper begins with the introduction of DLC and the models of the relevant distributed generation resources, including photovoltaic, wind turbines, diesel engines, and batteries. An algorithm is presented to combine the microgrid planning and DLC strategy. The results of the case study show that the proposed model provides an effective approach for the least cost planning in microgrids by using load management as competitive virtual power sources.