Huawei Communicate

Microgrids: A bright future

Microgrids, a cutting-edge technology, feature intelligent control systems that enable self-coordinated operation. With their energy flexibility, cost-efficient scheduling, and optimized management capabilities, they act as controllable power supplies or loads in a power grid network, giving them enormous growth potential.
By Peng Peng

H
Peng Peng is a Huawei senior expert on onsite energy conservation. His fields of expertise include renewable energy, legacy machine room renovation, and microgrid power generation.

igh oil prices, along with the stigma of association with pollution and climate change, are making fossil fuels a friend that no self-respecting ICT firm wants to acknowledge. Energy alternatives, both in terms of generation and conservation, are being aggressively explored and implemented by global leaders. Among these alternatives, distributed generation is increasingly finding favor.

w i t h t h e p owe r s u p p l y t o n e a r by users or lead to the desynchronization o f f re q u e n c y a n d v o l t a g e , w h i c h can collapse the entire system. The integration of different DPS sources can also compromise system safety and stability. If they cannot self-adjust, DPSs can suffer from random and sudden disruptions.

Limitations of distributed generation

Distributed generation, as its name implies, involves the generation of electricity by a decentralized plurality of locally-accessible fossil fuels or renewable sources. Mature distributed generation technologies include wind, solar, fuel cells, and micro gas turbines (MGTs). However, distributed generation technologies have yet to realize their full potential. Current solutions still face hurdles to their large-scale deployment. For example, distributed power supply (DPS) access to a power grid changes the load flow distribution within the system and causes numerous problems with voltage regulation, protection/ coordination, and energy optimization, while the introduction of a multitude of advanced electrical and electronic devices, as well as garden-variety capacitors and inductors, can interfere

Microgrids: Tremendous potential

Microgrids are a recent development with the potential to bring distributed generation into the mainstream. As an extension of distributed generation, a microgrid is a localized grouping of electricity generation, energy storage, energy control and conversion, energy monitoring & management, and load management tools, which can operate while connected to a traditional electricity grid (macrogrid) or function independently. A microgrid is comprised of various DPSs such as solar, wind, fossil fuels, and biomass; along with various energy converter units such as fuel cells, MGTs, internal-combustion engines, and energy storage systems. A microgrid features an intelligent control system that enables selfcoordinated operation. With its power source flexibility, cost-efficient scheduling, and optimized management, a microgrid can act as a controllable power supply to an external power grid or load. A microgrid system helps eliminate
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Experts Forum
Microgrids: A bright future bottlenecks in power transmission/ distribution, reduces grid losses, and postpones grid network construction, the latter of which is particularly appealing given the widespread budget crises unfolding around the world. It can operate separately in the event of a macrogrid collapse or other forces majeures to guarantee uninterrupted p owe r s u p p l y t o V I P u s e r s w h i l e supporting the timely recovery of the macrogrid. In addition, smart scheduling of distributed generation and energy-supply systems (cooling/heating/electricity/air/ lighting/gas) in the form of microgrid systems enables efficient energy use, satisfies users various energy requirements, and provides greater system reliability. As a more intelligent and controllable system, a microgrid has more growth potential than a mere DPS system. first started into this field around the year 2000. They proposed different concepts and development plans as per their regulatory and energy production circumstances. In the United States, the Consortium for Electric Reliability Technology Solutions (CERTS) is leading the effort, having published a series of articles which provide guiding principles in the field. Through the labors of its microgrid laboratory in Wisconsin, CERTS has demonstrated and attained transient voltage and frequency regulation as well as seamless switching between the parallel microgrid and island modes. In addition, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has worked with two power plants and built a showcase rural microgrid in Waitsfield, Vermont. Europes efforts have focused more on planning and frameworking. The EUs Fifth Framework Program (19982002) stressed grid sustainability and interactivity development. This marked the beginning of the development of first-generation microgrid components and structure. The Sixth Framework Program (2002-2006) focused on efficient operation control based on new communications technologies, and research on distributed power supply-control strategies and upperlevel scheduling management. With the Seventh Framework Program (20072013), the EU has proposed a longterm plan for power development in the region which will involve the building of smar t grids that will integrate centralized power plants and microgrids. Japan is also now a leading researcher in this field. It has set up the New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) to synergize research and application efforts among Japanese universities, companies, and state labs.

China: A practical touch

China, a late starter, is nonetheless making large strides in this field. Recent mandates and regulations, such as the Renewable Energy Act and the Midand Long-Term Renewable Energy

Microgrids: Research & practice

North America, Europe and Japan

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Development Plan, assign high priority to microgrid development. Statelevel projects have been initiated to encourage and support universities and institutes that research the microgrid field. Microgrid development based on renewable energy may indeed scale up in China in the near future. Huawei has developed a series of microgrid products and solutions for non-traditional applications for telecom operators, government agencies, schools, hospitals, enterprises, institutions, and homes. It has also made significant progress in the four major microgrid subsystems, namely power generation, energy storage, energy conversion and control, and energy monitoring and management, securing more than twenty core patents. Huawei has developed SolarMax maximum-power tracking technology, which features 30 percent utilization efficiency and suitability for photovoltaic conditions that include low energy transfer efficiency, high utilization cost and nocturnal unavailability. For diesel energy, it has developed the GenShift generation system that can auto-adjust to load factors as required. It also features a two-fold increase in energy efficiency ratio (EER) over traditional solutions, which are burdened with poor fuel efficiency thanks to their lower load rates. Huawei has also developed a new regenerative fuel cell (RFC) system that enables full utilization of the higher energy conversion ratios and power densities of fuel cells. Hu a w e i h a s m a d e s i g n i f i c a n t progress in advancing high-density proton-exchange-membrane (PEM) material applications and critical system component design & manufacturing processes. Huawei has successfully applied low-voltage-ride-through (LVRT) and reactive-power control technologies into real-world microgrid system designs that are suitable for the idiosyncrasies of wind energy such as instability and uneven distribution. It has also researched the controllability and stability of generation technologies based on biomass which are renewable, pollute

modestly, and emit negligibly. Huawei is also investing in R&D related to energy storage systems, which have been a hindrance to green power solutions for some time; they cannot be underestimated. Huawei is conducting systematic research into critical energy storage technologies, including the development and application of new, manageable energy storage materials a s we l l a s n e w m a t e r i a l s f o r c o l d storage. Huawei has secured patents for microcompressed air energy storage systems and superconducting energy storage technologies; developed standards for energy storage devices that feature load fluctuation compensation and high-frequency AC lines with minimal harmonic effects; and commenced research into supercapacitors. Huawei has also become an industry leader in control system research. Microgrid control elements coordinate intelligent control between micro power supplies, electrical & electronic equipment, and between micro and macro grids. To that end, Huawei has developed autonomous/connected operation controllers that are widely used in off-grid regions. To increase the EER of microgrid generation systems and their performance steadiness, Huawei has designed a unique dynamic load variation control system. It has made breakthroughs in seamless switching between a microgrids connected and autonomous modes through agent-based control, black start for local microgrids, and control based on advanced communications technologies. Finally, Huawei is utilizing its experience in data gathering and monitoring, unified data sharing, and adaptive communications to further refine microgrid technology, primarily in the areas of relay protection, safety/ stability control, scheduling, power metering and settlement management. Huawei, though new to the field of microgrid engineering, is confident that it can soon make end-to-end microgrid solutions a reality.
Editor: Li Xuefeng xuefengli@huawei.com

Huawei has also become an industry leader in control system research. Microgrid control elements coordinate intelligent control between micro power supplies, electrical & electronic equipment, and between micro and macro grids.

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