Enhancing Community Resilience through Distributed Energy Resources and Microgrid

Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) play an important role in microgrid operation and control, as they potentially improve local reliability and duration of power outages. In the face of increasing natural disasters due to climate change, aging infrastructure, and rising energy demands, enhancing the resilience of power systems has become a critical priority. This research explores a community-scale microgrid system through the integration of solar PV and wind energy resources. Meteorological data retrieved for this study were real-world solar radiation and wind speed data taken from the West Texas mesonet location— San Angelo. A model for each resource has been developed, and data has been analyzed through MATLAB/Simulink to produce power generation profiles and to estimate the amount of available renewable energy needed for storage purposes. The main tool for this study is the optimization platform National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) REopt. REopt aids in exploring optimal ways for the integration of these DERs for resilience, clean energy options, and financial analysis including multiple cost savings and revenue streams. The results offer optimum system sizes for both available renewable sources with regards to outage duration, clean energy goals, and the associated financial benefits of the case. The findings further offer valuable insights into the practical implementation of resilient, sustainable, and cost-effective energy solutions at the community level, contributing to the broader goal of transitioning to a more distributed and renewable-centric energy future.