Optimal generation scheduling of a microgrid

This paper presents an efficient method for the optimal generation scheduling of a microgrid comprising various distributed generators (DG), storage device. To give the optimal operation strategy, an optimization model is proposed respecting various distributed energy resources (DER) constraints and system constraints. The objective function is aimed at minimizing the system cost associated with the DG's energy production and start-up and shut-down decisions, along with possible profits. The problem is similar to a unit commitment problem in power system, however, there are some differences due to the special characteristics of DERs in the microgrid, each DER is modeled based on its characteristics and constraints. Finally, a mixed integer linear programming (MILP) method is applied to solve the problem. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is validated by case studies, the test results also indicate the MILP method is a promising approach to solve this kind of problem with high accuracy and low time consumption.