An energy management system of campus microgrids: State-of-the-art and future challenges

Abstract

The multiple uncertainties in a microgrid, such as limited photovoltaic generations, ups and downs in the market price, and controlling different loads, are challenging points in managing campus energy with multiple microgrid systems and are a hot topic of research in the current era. Microgrids deployed at multiple campuses can be successfully operated with an exemplary energy management system (EMS) to address these challenges, offering several solutions to minimize the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, maintenance costs, and peak load demands of the microgrid infrastructure. This literature survey presents a comparative analysis of multiple campus microgrids’ energy management at different universities in different locations, and it also studies different approaches to managing their peak demand and achieving the maximum output power for campus microgrids. In this paper, the analysis is also focused on managing and addressing the uncertain nature of renewable energies, considering the storage technologies implemented on various campuses. A comparative analysis was also considered for the energy management of campus microgrids, which were investigated with multiple optimization techniques, simulation tools, and different types of energy storage technologies. Finally, the challenges for future research are highlighted, considering campus microgrids’ importance globally. Moreover, this paper is expected to open innovative paths in the future for new researchers working in the domain of campus microgrids.