Short-Horizon Operating Scheme for Microgrids to Reduce Battery Stress

This study proposes a rule-based operating scheme for regulating battery cycling in PV-wind microgrids subject to short-term variability. Short-term power forecasting is performed using a simple blend of persistence and moving averages over a 5-15 minute moving horizon, generating smoothed setpoints with limited ramp rates. A three-mode switch manages storage: peak-level caps meet feedin demand during high tariffs, valley charging absorbs excess renewable energy to prevent outages, and backup protection maintains the state of charge for unexpected situations. Mode transitions follow a dead band logic based on state-of-charge (SOC) limits (e.g., 20-80%) and forecast uncertainty; only a few adjustable values (window length, ramp cap, dead bands) are required. Synthetic and publicly available case studies demonstrate reductions in 95th percentile net power ramps and improved SOC