Software-Defined Microgrid Control

Background

Microgrid is a solution which supports the integration of distributed energy resources and energy storage at grid edges. However, it is often difficult to build and operate microgrids due to the hardware dependence and the costs associated with updating the hardware when the microgrid configuration changes. Software‑defined networking (SDN) offers a programmable, flexible, and reliable solution to operate the microgrid, as it supports diverse quality-of-service (QoS) requirements and makes it easier to develop new applications and enable fast innovation in a microgrid. However, there exists a need to further explore the topic of developing software‑defined microgrid controls.

Technology

Researchers at Stony Brook University have developed a software‑defined control (SDC) architecture for the microgrid, which virtualized traditionally hardware‑dependent microgrid control functions. The technology decouples the hardware infrastructure with microgrid control functions fully resolving hardware dependence issues and enabling easier modifications, management, and updates at low costs. Virtualization allows multiple independent users to efficiently use computational and network resources (e.g., processing power and communication bandwidth) by abstracting them into logical units. A generic SDC prototype is designed to generate microgrid controllers autonomously in edge computing facilities such as distributed virtual machines. Extensive experiments verify that SDC outperforms traditional hardware-based microgrid control in that it empowers a decoupled cyber-physical microgrid.

Advantages

Easier modification, management and updates - Convenient - Low costs - Multiple independent users - Robust - Plug‑and‑play capability - Supports secondary and tertiary controls - Redundancy