Grid Interconnection protocols for Largely Dispersed minigrids/microgrids (Multigridcon)

In recent years the people without electricity access has decreased significantly. Globally energy consumption in the last-half century has rapidly increased and is expected to continue to grow over the next 50 years. The International Energy Agency (IEA 2010) estimate the global energy use will increase at an annual rate of 1.2 % in 2035.  To address the increased demand for electricity, the governments are promoting the minigrids/microgrids in electric power networks. However, the interconnection of new system to the existing system is a major concern to stability of power system due to the lack of proper standards and protocols.  

With this motive and with reference to the definition of minigrid/microgrid, this project aims to address the gap in guidelines and protocols for connection of multiple minigrids with each other and to the main grid. However, to investigate the existing guidelines and to propose the operating guidelines that would ensure a seamless interconnection of minigrids with each other thereby demonstrating the effectiveness of these protocols, both with a numerical and an experimental validations of reference minigrid(s) are necessary. 

During the three weeks Transnational Access (TA) detailed in this report, various tests were carried out over heterogeneous generating sources forming multiple microgrids/minigrids configurations for transition from island to interconnected mode with the other microgrid. A synchronization controller along with its reference protocols is validated in real time scenario for interconnection of two or more micro/minigrids, based on laboratory infrastructure.