Microgrid Design Toolkit Optimization of Wind-PV Hybrid Microgrids for Energy Resilience in Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's aging power infrastructure has been struggling for decades. However, in recent years it has seen its worst due to the impact of extreme weather events such as Hurricanes Irma, Maria, and Fiona. Puerto Rico has ambitious goals of becoming 100% supplied by renewable energy resources by 2050. Microgrids are becoming attractive alternatives to renewable energy integration and for energy resilience by bringing distributed energy resources (DERs) close to the loads. This work explores the viability of hybrid microgrid design alternatives for 8 candidate locations throughout Puerto Rico. Wind turbine generators and solar photovoltaic panels (PV) are considered the main sources of energy. However, lithium-ion batteries are included in the analysis for better utilization of the renewable energy generated and diesel generators (DGs) for backup power. The Microgrid Design Toolkit (MDT) is used to perform multi-objective and event-based optimization. Results highlight the potential cost benefits of hybrid wind-PV microgrids for various regions throughout Puerto Rico.