Available online at www.sciencedirect.

com
Energy
Available online at www.sciencedirect.com

Procedia
Energy Procedia 00 (2011)12000–000
Energy Procedia (2011) 1008 – 1014
www.elsevier.com/locate/procedia

ICSGCE 2011: 27–30 September 2011, Chengdu, China

Design and Realization of Microgrid Composing of

Photovoltaic and Energy Storage System
Junliang Wang*, Xiaomeng Li, Haijing Yang, Shengli Kong
Henan Electric Power Research Institute, Zhengzhou, China

Abstract

Considering the photovoltaic power has the characteristic of stochastic waving, the microgrid composed of batteries
storage energy and photovoltaic cells is adopted. A control system of three layers structure is designed, which are
local layer, concentrating layer and center layer. The master-slave control mode is used for microgrid operation. The
scheme has been used in the actual project; the whole system is operated well in terms of stability, reliability and
economy. It provides an example of the photovoltaic cells used for electric power generation project.
© 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of University of Electronic
© 2011 and
Science Published by Elsevier
Technology Ltd.
of China Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of ICSGCE 2011
(UESTC).
Keywords: microgrid; photovoltaic; battery storage energy; delamination control

1. Introduction

Recently as the general energy being scarcer, developing clean energy becomes the research focus
[1][2]. The solar energy has clean and sustainable use characteristics, so it is prevalent that using
photovoltaic electricity. But its emitting power is stochastic, large power converting rates cause poor
electric quality, and distributed electric energy brings change of conventional power grid structure, these
questions challenge the operation control and management of electric grid. Paper [3] designed an overall
power management strategy for the proposed system to manage power flows among the different energy
sources and the storage unit in the system. Paper [4] designed a hybrid solar system with a multilayered
building envelope. Recently the microgrid with photovoltaic power, storage energy and electric loads
form is a valid mode connecting power system. In the microgrid energy storage system connects
photovoltaic power by AC bus bar, the energy storage system can compensate photovoltaic power
fluctuation, especially when the microgrid deviates from online. It also can reduce the frequency waving.
The tracking control mode is used in energy storage system. When microgrid switches from online to

* Corresponding author. Tel.: +86-371-67905496.

E-mail address: wjl7766@sina.com.

1876-6102 © 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer-review under responsibility of University of Electronic Science and Technology of
China (UESTC).
doi:10.1016/j.egypro.2011.10.132
2 Junliang Wang
Junliang et al.
Wang / Energy
et al. Procedia
/ Energy 12 (2011)
Procedia 1008
00 (2011) – 1014
000–000 1009

offline state, it can discharge rapidly and enlarge power supply rate, so the power waving can be reduced.
In this paper according to minimum disturbance principle, a new microgrid operating control strategy is
designed and applied in the project.

2. Characteristic of Photovoltaic and Energy Storage System

2.1. The working principle of photovoltaic and its characteristic

Photovoltaic cell has photovoltaic effect, after the crystal silicon cell absorbs the solar light, pairs of
positive charges and negative electrons will come into being in the PN section, when the circuit is closed,
there will be current in it, at the same time the solar energy change into electric energy directly. A
photovoltaic generating electricity system is composed of photovoltaic cell and controller and inverter, its
equivalent circuit is shown in Fig. 1 [5][6][7].
IL: photovoltaic current; Id: diode current; Rsh: PN section equivalent resistance; Rs: photovoltaic cell
inner resistance.
Known from Kirchhoff’s Current Law:
I = I L − I d − I sh
⎡ ⎛ Q(V + IRs ) ⎞ ⎤ V + I ⋅ Rs (1)
= I L − I d ⎢ exp ⎜ ⎟ − 1⎥ − R
⎣ ⎝ AkT ⎠ ⎦ sh

where V and I are output voltage and current of photovoltaic cell respectively. Ish is leaking current of
photovoltaic cell. Id is saturation current of the diode. Q is Coulomb constant(1.6×10-19C).A is PN
section constant. k is Boltzmann constant (1.38×10-23J/K). T is absolute temperature of photovoltaic cell.
IL is short circuit current of photovoltaic cell, it depends on light intension and temperature. Id just
depends on temperature.

Fig. 1. Photovoltaic cell equivalent circuit. Fig. 2. Photovoltaic P-V characteristic.

The solar energy photovoltaic cell is nonlinear electric resource, its output characteristic is impacted by
light intension and environment temperature and magnitude of loads. In certain conditions of light
intension and environment temperature, the photovoltaic cell works as different output voltage, but when
the voltage reaches some numerical value, its output power attains maximum, this point is the tiptop of
power-voltage curve, namely maximum power point, shown in Fig. 2. If we improve the whole efficiency
of photovoltaic system, the working point must be adjusted in real time, and operating at the point nearly,
the process is named maximum power point tracking (MPPT) [8].

2.2. The storage battery characteristic and structure of energy storage system

The storage battery stores energy as chemical energy form, it may work in charge or discharge state,
and expediently adjust the microgrid operating characteristic [9][10]. Seen from electrical characteristic,
the storage battery is a voltage resource with inner exiguity resistance, shown in Fig. 3. [11].
1010 Junliang
Junliang Wang
Wang et al.
et al. / Energy
/ Energy Procedia
Procedia 00 12 (2011)
(2011) 1008 – 1014
000–000 3

Fig. 3. The storage battery equivalent circuit.

Fig. 4. The storage battery storing energy system.

As load resistance RL is equal to battery inner resistance RE, the output power of battery is maximum,
its value is ( L).
P = E 2 4R
The storage battery storing energy system is composed of battery pile (BP), power control system
(PCS), battery management system (BMS) and main control system(MCS), shown in Fig. 4. BP is
connected to 380 voltage bus bar through PCS after direct current inverting to alternating current. PCS
controls charge or discharge state of BP, BMS manages and harmonizes the charge or discharge process
of BP. MCS collects information from PCS and BMS respectively, and harmonizes PCS and BP, it
achieves the control function of energy storage system charging or discharging, and sends information to
controlling center synchronously.

3. Operating Control of Microgrid System

The photovoltaic system’s dynamic and stable characteristics are different from traditional generators,
its maximum power can’t be controlled, moreover the single phase load will cause an unbalance of three-
phase power, and therefore operating control of microgrid system is different from traditional electric
power system [12][13]. In this paper the control structure of three layers is designed, they are local layer
and concentrating layer and center layer. The master slave control mode is used for microgrid operating.
Local layer collects digital and stimulant information from various units including photovoltaic system,
storage energy system, loads, breakers, and completes collection, conversion, disposing and transmitting.
The concentrating layer achieves microgrid energy management and its online and offline controlling.
The center layer accomplishes microgrid economical operating according to income maximizing
principle.
The center controller is master controlling unit. The upper layer manages distributed power resources
and various loads in nether layer, nether layer contacts upper layer by communications, shown in Fig. 5.
In working center controller adjusts the electric resource’s operating point and decides loads on or off
according to photovoltaic output power and changes of loads demand in microgrid. The dynamic balance
of power is completed by electric resource controller in bottom layer.
When microgrid is offline the storage energy system in normal working restrains the stochastic waving
of photovoltaic power and disturbance of loads. It provides voltage resource for photovoltaic system
while microgrid is offline. When the power of photovoltaic system is abundant the storage energy system
works in charge state or in discharge state when power is deficient. Seen from the alternating current bus
bar, the storage energy system may work in charge or discharge state, it can absorb or utter power, and
has a large regulation range, so it can reduce the power striking on AC bus bar, and benefit microgrid
operating stability.
4 Junliang Wang
Junliang et al.
Wang / Energy
et al. Procedia
/ Energy 12 (2011)
Procedia 1008
00 (2011) – 1014
000–000 1011

Fig. 5. The microgrid control structure

When microgrid is operating online, the frequency is controlled by electric system, photovoltaic system
and storage energy system are operating in active power and reactive power closed loop control mode
(P/Q mode), it just sends out active power and reactive power, and doesn’t attend to adjust system
frequency [14], P/Q mode is shown in Fig. 6. When microgrid is operating in offline state, the main
control unit in control system holds the frequency and voltage of system, it adopts the voltage and
frequency closed loop control mode (V/f mode), and maintains the system stable operation, V/f mode is
shown in Fig. 7.

Fig. 6. P/Q control model

Fig. 7. V/f control model

When outer electric power system operates in well state, the microgrid is merged into it by
synchronizing device, here microgrid operates employing control mode of united optimizing power, it
makes microgrid be the highest efficiency. The storage energy system output or input power tracks the
changes of loads, in order to meet the power grid dispatching department’s demand of power waving. The
controller commands the online breaker to be off while the fault occurs in outer electric power system, the
microgrid goes to be offline, here storage energy system establishes voltage on bus bar, then photovoltaic
system is started rapidly, and loads go to be on one by one according to optimized sequence. The storage
energy equipments decides its charge or discharge state according to warp between photovoltaic output
1012 Junliang
Junliang Wang
Wang et al.
et al. / Energy
/ Energy Procedia
Procedia 00 12 (2011)
(2011) 1008 – 1014
000–000 5

power and total loads on bus bar, then light energy is utilized maximally. The microgrid system control
flow is shown in Fig. 8.

Fig. 8. The microgrid control flow.

4. The Scheme Applied In Project

The scheme designed in this paper has been applied in “The gold sun” project. In the project
photovoltaic system and battery storage system are merged into electric power system according to
distributing method, they are connected to two buses that voltage is 380V respectively by inverter. Two
PCS are equipped in the project, its capacity is 100kW per group. The total power of photovoltaic system
is 380kWp, it is divided into two groups and its power is 190kWp per group. The microgrid is merged
into electric power system through 380V voltage, the main circuit is shown in Fig. 9.
The RS485 is applied to build communication net, it connects photovoltaic inverter and storage
battery controller and low voltage measuring and controlling units to the Ethernet, and joints microgrid
controller to industry control computer, it completes microgrid communication net, and contacts
dispatching department of electric power system through special light fiber.
In project the storage energy element is ferric and lithium phosphate battery, the surveillance and
control system of storage energy is equipped with the battery management system, it fulfill function
include charge and discharge and temperature protections and so on, the system can complete its safe
operating and choice of control strategy and run mode.
6 Junliang Wang
Junliang et al.
Wang / Energy
et al. Procedia
/ Energy 12 (2011)
Procedia 1008
00 (2011) – 1014
000–000 1013

Fig. 9. The microgrid main circuit of photovoltaic united to storage energy.

The online or offline controller applies voltage harmonics detecting method to judge whether the
microgrid is “isolated island” or not [15]. When the controller opens the online breaker, and at the same
time sends the information to PCS and microgrid control system, the loads controller cuts off unimportant
loads. After PCS receives the offline message, it works into V/f control mode. The microgrid control
system starts online to offline control strategy immediately while it receives offline message [16].
When microgrid is online, the storage energy inverter works in current resource control mode, it gives
off power based on the microgrid’s instructions. However when it is offline, the inverter works in voltage
resource control mode, it gives off power in V/f mode. As the main control unit, it receives the online or
offline signal and completes to switch running mode rapidly.
When microgrid is offline, the collecting controller reins the whole microgrid to run in stable state, the
photovoltaic system works in MPPT mode, it regulates the storage energy power to meet the loads
demand, thus the PV power is used sufficiently and the important loads power supplied continuously is
assured. However, when microgrid is online, it realizes the uniform dispatching of PV and storage energy
and loads, and makes the distributed power net be more flexible, in urgent things it may be regarded a
spare electric resource that can realize the optimized running for distributed grid.

5. Conclusion

The microgrid system united by photovoltaic and storage energy utilizes the characteristic that storage
battery has charge and discharge functions and its power may be regulated rapidly, this may restrain the
power waving because of photovoltaic power being random, the solar energy is used adequately. They
two unite to form the microgrid, it may operate in online or offline mode, besides it has a characteristic
that can restrain the striking and disturbance of loads. The project practice shows that the whole microgrid
system works is stable, reliable and economical; it provides a paradigm for photovoltaic generating
electric power application.

References

[1] Xin Li, Neng Zhu, Ren-dong Guo. “Study of clean energy application and strategy”, International Conference on Electric
Technology and Civil Engineering (ICETCE), 2011, 5483–5485.
[2] Keane, B. “Marketing Clean Energy in the United States”, International Conference on Clean Electrical Power, 2007.
ICCEP '07. 260-264.
1014 Junliang
Junliang Wang
Wang et /al.
et al. / Energy
Energy Procedia
Procedia 12 (2011)
00 (2011) 1008 – 1014
000–000 7

[3] Caisheng Wang; Nehrir, M.H. “Power Management of a Stand-Alone Wind/Photovoltaic/Fuel Cell Energy System”, IEEE
Transactions on Energy Conversion, , 2008, 957 – 967.
[4] Dajiang Yang Huiming Yin. “Energy Conversion Efficiency of a Novel Hybrid Solar System for Photovoltaic,
Thermoelectric, and Heat Utilization”, IEEE Transactions on Energy Conversion, 2011, 662–670.
[5] Zhou Niancheng, Yan Liwei, Wang Qianggang. “Research on dynamic characteristic and integration of photovoltaic
generation in microgrid”, Power System Protection and Control, 2010, 38(14) (in Chinese).
[6] Xu Xiaoli, Zuo Yunbo. “Integrated Design of Measurement and Control System for Photovoltaic Generation”,
International Conference on Electrical and Control Engineering (ICECE), 2010, 1200–1203.
[7] Farret, F., Simoes, M. Integration of Alternative Sources of Energy, Published by Wiley-IEEE Press, 2006.
[8] Cao Zuliang, Wang Bin, Wang Shuai. “Photovoltaic generation system and comparison of control methods for maximum
power point tracking”, Guangdong Electric Power, 2010, 23(6) (in Chinese).
[9] Hao Qian, Jianhui Zhang, Jih-Sheng Lai, Wensong Yu. “A High-Efficiency Grid-Tie Battery Energy Storage System”,
IEEE Transactions on Power Electronics, 2011, 886–896.
[10] Mercier, P., Cherkaoui, R., Oudalov, A. “Optimizing a Battery Energy Storage System for Frequency Control Application
in an Isolated Power System”, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems, 2009, 1469-1477.
[11] Mukund R. patel. Wind and Solar Power Systems Design, Analysis, and Operation (Second Edition) [M]. Published by
CRC press, part of Taylor & Francis Group LLC.
[12] In-Su Bae, Jin-O Kim. “Reliability Evaluation of Customers in a Microgrid”, IEEE Transactions on Power Systems,
2008, 1416-1422.
[13] Xiaohong Guan; Zhanbo Xu; Qing-Shan Jia; Energy-Efficient Buildings Facilitated by Microgrid Smart Grid, IEEE
Transactions on 2010, 243–252.
[14] Wang Liping, Yang Dezhou, Zhang Jun. “Study of large-scale PV power system control principle and grid-connected
characteristics”, Power Electronics, 2010, 44(6) (in Chinese).
[15] Zhao Fei, Liang Zhirui, Wang Ning. “Islanding detection technology for a photovoltaic grid-connected power system”,
Electric Power, 2010, 43(5) (in Chinese).
[16] Hudson R M., “Implementation and testing of antislanding algorithms for IEEE 929-2000 Compliance of single phase
photovoltaic inverter”,Photovoltaic Specialists Conference,2002,1414-1419.