Model and simulation of a microgrid based on a traditional electrical infrastructure

In this work, we model a low-power microgrid based on the distribution grid of the University of Nariño, Colombia. The model includes photovoltaic, wind, microturbines, and fuel cell generators to satisfy the demanded power in the campus, according to measured demand profiles in the low voltage side. The design and simulation are performed in SimPowerSystems simplifying the low-level controllers to reduce the simulation time and to allow the system to solve the economic dispatch of all distributed units in the same simulation platform. To prove the model application, some results that show the behavior of the system are presented. Although the integration of low-power alternative energy sources is not enough to satisfy the demanded power in the campus, the distributed generation penetration provides sufficient power to reduce costs and environmental impact.