Density of 

renewable energy sources in distribution systems has developed a

novel structure, called microgrid (MG), which consists of small-scale power
grids with controllable and uncontrollable loads. MGs are a combination of
different distributed generation resources (DGRs) which act as a controllable
system at the distribution voltage level and supply power or heat to a group of
local loads. Due to the high fluctuations of available power at the distribution
voltage level, MGs may fail to supply major consumers. Therefore, several
MGs are used by dividing consumers into smaller units; each unit is supplied
by one MG. In this study, renewable sources such as wind
turbine (WT), photovoltaic (PV) cell, and hydrogen storage system are
considered as MGs. A novel energy management strategy is proposed
using hydrogen storage system and considering uncertainties of renewable
sources in the MG. This strategy aims to minimize the operating costs of
batteries and hydrogen storage systems as well as unsupplied and surplus
energy costs considering load supply constraints. Various resource
constraints are employed in the proposed strategy. Moreover, demand
response (DR) program is applied for MG optimal operation. The proposed
model is implemented on a system using MATLAB software and meta-
heuristic gray wolf optimization (GWO) algorithm. The results indicate
applying hydrogen storage system and demand-side management (DSM)
program could reduce the final cost of MGs and the proposed method has
high efficiency in solving complex problems.
Introduction
Nowadays, secure and widespread application of renewable energy sources
for reducing greenhouse gas emissions as well as supplying remotely
distributed loads is among the concerns of human societies. Renewable
energy sources are clean and inexhaustible, so they can be a good alternative
for fossil fuels [1]. The emergence of renewable distributed generation
sources and the need to supply the load at the place of consumption have
developed the MG concept. Factors such as improving reliability, reducing
losses, as well as economic and environmental considerations have
expanded the penetration of DGRs into the grid [2]. MGs are small-scale
power grids that operate at low voltage levels and include a variety of
controllable and uncontrollable loads. MGs can operate in both grid-connected
and off-grid modes [3]. In the cases where developing the power supply
system is not feasible, applying an islanded MG is recommended. When MG
is connected to the main power grid, the MG capacity can be used to
exchange with the power grid. In MGs, it is possible to improve the quality of
system power by controlling the renewable power generation. MGs can supply
the required power of a small building to a large area with a set of large units.
The structure and components of these systems are designed according to
the strategic capacities of the desired location; for example, if the desired
location has sufficient capability to use wind and solar energies, WTs and
photovoltaic (PV) systems can be considered in the desired MG design [4]. In
general, MGs are divided into three types: AC, DC, and hybrid AC-DC [5,6].
Wind and solar energies have recently received more attention than other
sources among the renewable energy sources worldwide [7]. Moreover,
energy generation close to the place of consumption has eliminated the need
to building voltage transmission lines near cities and villages, which has led to
numerous economic benefits [8]. In distribution grids, MGs are used as a
virtual resource or load. Therefore, peak load shaving can be achieved
through the coordinated control of distributed load generation. Due to the
uncertainties of distributed energy sources, using an energy storage system
along with renewable energy sources is considered an efficient solution for
achieving reliability. With the advent of grids and development of energy
storage systems, the role of this equipment is becoming increasingly
prominent. DGRs such as wind and solar energies have uncertainties due to
their variable nature. These fluctuations have adverse effects on system
power quality, voltage, and frequency. Applying energy storage sources along
with solar and wind energy sources can make this variable power uniform [9].
Batteries are the most widely used energy storage equipment which store
electrical energy chemically; for example, batteries are responsible for
supporting at night and during cloudy days in PV systems. Given that the
output power of PV panels varies throughout the day, a storage battery can be
a relatively constant source of power generation to compensate for changes in
the light emitted to the panels. In general, batteries can be divided into two
categories: rechargeable and disposable [10,11]. Using energy storage
systems based on hydrogen technology is among the energy storage
equipment in recent years. Hydrogen is a clean fuel that has no pollution
when being used instead of fossil fuels [12,13]. DR is a process, based on
which consumers change their consumption pattern in response to changes in
electricity prices at different times and manage their consumption. This
process increases system reliability in the event of any crisis. DSM programs
are mainly used to help power systems during peak hours. These programs
have recently received great attention in power systems. Energy storage
systems along with DR programs are efficient methods for proper operation
and system stability [14]. Time-based DR program is among the most
common DSM programs. Time of use (TOU) DR program is among the
dynamic pricing schemes, in which two different prices are presented for on-
and off-peak periods. TOU program uses the technique of changing the
electricity price at different hours to improve the consumption pattern of
consumers. This is among the most common price-based programs that aims
to improve and control subscribers’ consumption by changing the electricity
price in different time periods. This is actually achieved by motivating the
consumers that their electricity price will be reduced [15].

In [16], the optimal operation of an MG that includes hydrogen storage system

was examined by the linear programming model. This case study was
analyzed by an MG laboratory in Austria. In Ref. [17], an airport MG
connected to the main grid was studied, in which an optimal distribution that
included renewable sources such as PV systems, energy storage system, and
diesel generator were employed.

Another study focused on the optimal design and planning of a hybrid MG to

minimize costs and reduce greenhouse gases [18]. Four different cases,
including renewable energy sources, energy storage system, and grid-
connected MG, were analyzed to evaluate economic aspects, operational
performance, and greenhouse gas emissions. In Ref. [19], a stochastic
framework was presented for optimal MG scheduling considering the islanded
mode. In this approach, various uncertainties were considered and the daily
scheduling of resources was determined by taking into account emergency
situations. Another research focused on energy management of an MG in the
islanded mode using a hydrogen storage system and DR program [20]. In
Ref. [21], a two-stage energy management strategy was proposed to optimize
MG operating costs and control uncertainties. This approach was examined in
different scenarios under the standard sample system. In Ref. [22], an
islanded hybrid MG was designed and optimized, and various MG costs were
analyzed. In Ref. [23], an energy management system was proposed for a
grid-connected MG considering various renewable energy sources including
PV systems, WTs, and battery energy storage systems. A mathematical
model was presented for the PV system. In this model, the effect of solar
radiation on MG planning in different days and seasons was evaluated. In
Ref. [24], multi-objective optimization of MG planning was investigated
considering economic and environmental issues. In Ref. [25], an off-grid
hybrid MG as a combination of renewable sources such as wind and solar
energies, fuel cells, and energy storage systems was studied. Fuzzy logic
controllers were used in this MG and a battery state of charge (SOC)-based
energy management strategy was employed to maintain energy balance. In
Ref. [26], the system performance was optimized to reduce fuel consumption.
This hybrid system included PV panels, diesel generator, and pumped hydro
storage (PHS). Optimization was performed by crow search algorithm (CSA).
In Ref. [27], an energy management system was proposed for an industrial
MG. In the proposed energy management system, decisions about charging
and discharging the battery storage system were constrained by the energy
storage size. This strategy aimed to optimize the performance of industrial
MGs using scalability. Optimization involved two different levels. In Ref. [28],
DR programs and energy storage systems were introduced as two main tools
for DSM in smart grids. In the proposed optimized framework, the optimal
location and measurement of energy reserves was examined considering
renewable energy sources and grid constraints. In Ref. [29], MG was
considered as a solution for increasing energy demand and integrating
renewable energy sources. Energy planning was implemented on a low
distribution MG consisting of solar and wind energies, diesel generator, PHS
systems, and various types of consumers. In Ref. [30], a smart MG consisting
of PV system, heating and cooling systems, and energy storage system was
proposed. The optimal planning of these units was modeled considering the
price-based demand response. In Ref. [31], a two-stage optimization method
was presented for an integrated energy system considering DR and energy
storage. The proposed method divided the optimal scheduling problem into
two optimization problems: demand- and supply-side optimization problems.

In this paper, an energy management strategy is proposed with a focus on the

optimal operation of energy resources and determining the charge and
discharge of hydrogen storage systems and batteries, both with and without
considering DR program. This strategy aims to minimize the operating costs
of batteries and hydrogen storage systems as well as unsupplied and surplus
energy costs while taking into account load supply constraints and technical
constraints of DGRs, hydrogen storage systems, and batteries. Given that
reducing operating costs is among the main objectives of this study, the
operating costs of storage components are first discussed. Then, optimization
is done using MATLAB software, developed meta-heuristic gray wolf
optimization (GWO) algorithm, and chaos theory.