Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Many northern and remote communities in Canada continue to rely on diesel generators to meet their energy needs. However, supplying electricity to these isolated communities by diesel generators presents several technical, financial and environmental issues. In this context, shifting to renewable microgrids (MGs) incorporating solar photovoltaic (PV) can play an important role in addressing global climate change and long-term energy security issues in remote communities. However, the increased use of solar sources in variable, cold weather conditions is bringing new challenges. Snow and ice accumulation on PV panels can reduce significantly their energy production capability during cold months. Such conditions can make it difficult to balance electricity supply and demand, particularly in those cases when PV systems can be widely used as a main energy source. Consequently, power reliability and power quality can be significantly affected if these issues are not properly addressed during the planning of PV integration projects. In order to mitigate these issues, inverters as interfaces between PV and MGs with advanced functions based on the newly proposed inverter features as described in IEEE 1547-2018 are required. Hence, this research program will propose advanced control techniques, which are linked to computational intelligence techniques essential for the prediction of variable solar systems and MG behavior in cold conditions, for isolated MGs in remote locations. The specific objectives include 1) characterizing the real behavior of PV modules under cold atmospheric conditions using computational intelligence techniques, 2) advanced MPPT control in partial shading conditions; and 3) frequency/voltage regulation in isolated MGs taking into account inertia reduction. This advanced control strategy will propose multi-faceted solutions using specific functionalities, applicable in all climate conditions that will enable MGs to operate in a reliable and optimized manner in Canadian remote communities. The results of the proposed research will lead to an improved optimal design of MGs and provide guidance for power engineers and circuit simulator developers to develop advanced and accurate techniques for integrations of solar inverters into MGs in cold-climate conditions. This knowledge will benefit Canadian power utility industries through the development of better detection and prevention measures for dangerous power outage events, resulting in increased safe and secure power generation. Moreover, the results will lead to environmental and social benefits through reduced greenhouse gas emissions and noise pollution for remote communities. This research program will also contribute to the training of highly qualified personnel (HQP) for Canadian research institutions and industries to meet the growing demand for engineers and scientists knowledgeable in renewable energy and power electronics.