Energy Management Systems for Microgrids: Evolution and Challenges within the Framework of the Energy Transition

Abstract

Context: Microgrids have been gaining space and credibility in terms of research and real applications. Technological maturity and new regulations have allowed these types of systems to position themselves as a real alternative to increase the coverage of the energy service and improve its quality. One of the biggest challenges of microgrids is the management of resources and their synchronization with conventional grids. In order to overcome the inconvenience of synchronizing and managing the components of a microgrid, research on management systems has been conducted, which usually consist of a set of modules and control strategies that manage the available resources. However, these studies have not reached unanimity on the best method to perform these tasks, which is why it is necessary to perform a systematic collection of information and clearly define the state of research in energy systems management for this type of network. Method: Based on the above, a systematic mapping was carried out in this article, wherein a significant number of papers that have contributed to this area were compiled. Taxonomies were generated based on the nature of the variables collected. These variables correspond to the data or information that enters and/or leaves the microgrid management system, such as meteorological variables, power, priority loads, intelligent loads, economic, operating states, and binary outputs. Conclusions: It was observed that, despite the advances in studying different techniques and strategies microgird control and management, other factors that may affect performance have not been covered in a relevant way, such as the nature of variables and microgrid topology, among others.