Performance analysis of a smart microgrid controller for under real-time operating conditions at Royal Project Intanon

This study examines Thailand’s first hydropower and solar PV-assisted smart microgrid system operating in real time at Royal Project Intanon. The smart microgrid system comprises a dual 90 kW hydropower generation unit, a 20 kW solar PV system, and a 100 kW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS), with a conventional grid connection. During smart microgrid operation, first-order and average filter control methods are employed to prioritise the solar PV system and the BESS, given their faster response to grid load demand. Initially, BESS favours stabilising both frequency and voltage in the closed microgrid within 30 s, thereby coordinating the PV systems to resume operation. Following that, hydropower generation is synchronised with the smart microgrid system. Although most load demand is met by hydropower, the initial stage of islanding relies on the battery energy storage system. The most extended power outage occurred in September 2021, lasting 1661 min. On a selective day in September, BESS peak charging and discharging were −36.06 kW and 35.51 kW, respectively, whereas the average solar PV generation was below 2 kW. Throughout the power outage, hydropower generation consistently met load demand, and the BESS initiated charging and discharging processes as required by the load profile. Following that, a selective day in August shows that the BESS initiated charging and discharging 59 times. A year-round performance analysis indicates that the examined commercial microgrid controller avoided 5232 min of grid power outages without using a diesel generator and met the load demand efficiently.