Performance Optimization of a Residential Microgrid Balancing Economic and Energy Issues

Microgrids are currently seen as the future of power generation and distribution systems. This paper illustrates the optimization of the operation stage of the main components of a microgrid supplying the final demands for electricity, heating and cooling of a residential district. The optimization was performed with reference to four seasonal standard days and optimizing the operating costs or the primary energy use. The electricity production from a photovoltaic system and a combined heat and power (CHP) satisfies the local electricity demand. The heating demand is fulfilled with a gas-fired boiler, a CHP, a solar thermal collector and a reversible heat pump that is employed also for the cooling demand together with an absorbtion chiller. Moreover, a storage system for each demand is also included. The optimization model is formulated through a mixed-integer linear programming approach and implemented in MATLAB. The results show a reduction of costs ranging between about two and four times and a reduction of primary energy use between about two and five times with respect to the traditional scenario (electricity and gas from the grid).