Undergraduate Research on DER Integration and Advanced Control Strategies for Grid Disturbance

With the global push towards cleaner energy, the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs) and the implementation of advanced control strategies are becoming crucial for modernization of electric grids. DERs not only help reduce the carbon footprint of the grid but also play a crucial role in enhancing grid resilience. This paper highlights the importance of research at the undergraduate level in the area of DER integration and microgrid energy management systems and investigates the impact of integrating DERs into electric grid using PowerWorld Simulator, and for which, the Hawaii Synthetic Case 37-Buses is utilized. The focus of the paper also lies in the effectiveness of control strategies such as Automatic Generation Control (AGC) and Automatic Voltage Regulation (AVR) in managing the microgrid islanding while the network is experiencing a disturbance scenario. The implementation of AGC and AVR within the microgrids reduces the response time required for the network to stabilize. Test results demonstrate the significant improvements in the response time of distribution networks due to the integration of DERs, advanced control strategies, and microgrid implementation.