Optimal Power Flow for a System of Microgrids with Controllable Loads and Battery Storage

Microgrids are systems that integrate distributed renewable energy sources, controllable loads, and energy storage in a more economic and reliable fashion. In this paper we model the load and generation of two microgrids with wind farms to implement optimal power flow (OPF) using particle swarm optimization (PSO). The objectives are to achieve optimal dispatch of controllable loads and generators as well as effectively utilizing the battery storage of each microgrid. This optimal dispatch is price sensitive and shows how microgrids can reduce costs by selling stored energy at high prices and shave peak loads of the larger system.