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Microgrid Energy Management Solution

Edge control solution for microgrids & distributed energy resources

Mission critical operations need a reliable power system that operates by supplementing the utility grid in parallel mode or autonomous island mode in a clean, optimized, low cost and resilient manner.

ETAP μGrid™ (Microgrid) includes an advanced electrical digital twin model combined with intelligent automation and system protection to optimize and control simple or complex microgrid electric and thermal systems.

Solutions

End-to-End Solution

ETAP Microgrid Control offers an integrated model-driven solution to design, simulate, optimize, test, and control microgrids with inherent capability to fine-tune the logic for maximum system resiliency and energy efficiency.

Microgrid Design & Validation

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ETAP Microgrid software allows for design, modeling, analysis, islanding detection, optimization and control of microgrids.

ETAP Microgrid software includes a set of fundamental modeling tools, built-in analysis modules, and engineering device libraries that allow you to create, configure, customize, and manage your system model. Microgrid controller response can be verified and validated prior to connecting it into the field.

Microgrid Design and Validation

  • Detailed modeling, simulation and optimization
  • Virtual microgrid controller element modeling and control logics
  • Develop new control functions
  • Enhance and tune existing functions
  • Test and validate logics
  • Modeling of photovoltaic, energy storage devices, diesel generators, wind turbines, gas & steam generators, fuel cells, etc.
  • Simulate microgrid systems on timescales of electromagnetic transients, dynamic & steady-state behavior
  • 3-phase and 1-phase AC & DC network one-line diagrams
  • Verified & Validated Engineering Libraries based on equipment manufacturers’ published data
  • Predictive analysis and forecasting of loads and generation

Microgrid Controller

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ETAP offers a fully configurable model-driven microgrid controller that provides considerable flexibility to achieve desired control functionalities. Once the controller logic is deployed to the ETAP Microgrid controller hardware software-in-the-loop (SIL) or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), testing can be utilized where the physical controller interacts with the model of the microgrid and associated devices.

ETAP Microgrid Controller hardware is designed for environments while delivering optimal performance, fast response, and security.

<1 MW
Portable Microgrid Controller

Portable Microgrid Controller

  • Core i5-7300U
  • 8 GB RAM
  • 4x LAN
  • 4x COM
  • 1x Mini-P

< 20 MW
Mountable Microgrid Controller

Moutnable Microgrid Controller

  • Core i7 1.7GHz
  • 16 GB RAM
  • 8x LAN
  • 10x COM
  • 2x Slot

> 20 MW
Mountable Microgrid Controller

Moutnable Microgrid Controller

  • Xeon E3 2 GHz
  • 32 GB RAM
  • 8x LAN
  • 10x COM
  • 2x Slot
  • Rugged design
  • Native DNP3, Modbus, IEC 61850 communication protocols
  • Update controller logics without decommissioning
  • Supports Linux and Windows
  • Local and system controllers
  • Collect data from field-deployed microgrid controllers
  • Get diagnostics and apply software updates remotely
  • Integrated alarm, warning & acknowledgement
  • IP40 ingress protection

Engineering Services

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ETAP offers engineering services in the entire process of design, analysis, monitoring and programming of control functions based on user requirements.

Engineering Services

  • Microgrid planning and expert engineering services
  • Feasibility study & system Analysis
  • Microgrid design, logic & optimization
  • Derive controller settings
  • Renewable & battery sizing
  • Cost saving analysis
  • Controller evaluation
  • Microgrid deployment & integration
  • Microgrid Solution as a Service (MSaaS) with remote-hosting

ETAP Microgrid Energy Management System is an-all-inclusive holistic software and hardware platform that provides complete system automation for safe and reliable operation.

The solution integrates with onsite Cogeneration, Solar PV, Energy Storage, Absorption Chillers, and more to manage load demand and cost-effective generation in real-time.

Challenge

Meeting Design & Operational Challenges

Optimal Microgrid Design & Validation

  • Optimization techniques to evaluate design feasibility
  • Configure and compare a variety of scenarios to analyze technical performance
  • Validate microgrid system design and logic incorporating historical, present, or forecasted conditions

 

Operational Resiliency

  • Safeguard against power interruptions
  • Proactively adapt to system changes, unexpected events and disturbances

 

Decarbonization & Decentralization

  • Demand for effective energy sustainability and carbon footprint reduction
  • Effective management and optimization of distributed generation and load assets

 

Lower the Cost of Engineering, Operation & Maintenance

  • Reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) by reducing the cost of electricity (COE).
  • Manage and decrease the Operations & Maintenance cost
  • Ensuring that supply and demand are met and optimized at all times within the agreed and empowered electricity prices and programs.
Benefits

Microgrid Controller Benefits

 

Use ETAP Digital Twin to design, analyze, and validate, and configure the microgrid system, objectives, and logics. Validate controller logic with ETAP software-in-the-loop (SIL) or hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) systems then simply transfer the model to ETAP Microgrid Controller to deploy.

After deployment, the controllers can control live microgrids via their communication systems and can be fine-tuned and re-deployed instantly without any decommissioning. Use the controller hardware to view, adjust parameters, set up function, update logics via easy to use HMIs that consolidates all necessary information.

Intelligent real-time situational awareness and forecast-driven predictive simulations to reliably and accurately determine short-term loading and generation, especially from inconsistent sources such as wind and solar.

ETAP Microgrid automatically identifies and adapts to system changes using proven control and optimization algorithms to handle unexpected events. Proactive generation dispatch and switching control logics regulate voltage and frequency for system preservation during and after an islanded condition.

ETAP’s Advanced Microgrid Management Control considers and responds to multiple contingencies simultaneously to preserve critical loads.

Evaluate energy-reducing strategies such as moving on-peak usage to off-peak periods or shifting from one rate schedule to another to improve the bottom line. Fast load curtailment and remedial actions based on load and generation changes and priorities.

  • Fully integrated system with ETAP SCADA, Load Shedding, DERMS- support all com protocols
  • Scalable, flexible, configurable, secure, redundant software / hardware controller platform
  • Optional advanced customization for special applications and functions to meet any customer’s needs
  • Expert services in microgird system design, automation, and operation
 
 
Key Features

Features & Capabilities

 
  • Model-driven microgrid solution supported with full spectrum AC & DC analysis
  • Detailed modeling, simulation and optimization of microgrid system in study mode
  • Intuitive graphical and scripting tools to develop and test control logics and user-defined functions
  • Virtualized functions implementation for flexible deployment across multi-platforms
  • Modeling of renewable sources and distributed resources, such as Solar PV, Wind, DGs, and Energy Storage System (ESS)
  • Built-in logics for dispatch, islanding and load forecasting
  • Load and generation forecasting
  • Automated predictive “what-if” simulation validates controller actions in real-time mode
  • Utilize archived data for system analysis
  • Integrated SCADA, ADMS, DERMS and Business Intelligence Dashboards
  • Incorporate predictive simulations as part of control decisions to achieve maximum system performance
  • Rugged microgrid controller hardware
  • Easy to set up and communicate with other microgrid assets
  • Tools to interact with real-time simulators for Software-in-the-Loop (SIL) and Hardware-in-the-Loop (HIL) testing

 

Microgrid Controller Applications

  • Dispatch energy resources
  • Facilitate transition to islanded mode and back
  • Facilitate microgrid black start
  • Supervisory control during islanded mode
  • Facilitate seamless integration of DERs
  • Improve the stability of system by supporting the frequency and voltage of the grid at PCC
  • Provide grid management functions: Real and Reactive power support
  • Load vs. Generation capacity balancing
  • Fast Load Shedding, Automatic Generation Control and Demand Management

How ETAP Microgrid Controllers manage the Red Sea Utility off-grid Microgrids in Tabuk

19:59 Webinars  
The Red Sea Utility Grid is in the Tabuk province of Saudi Arabia. The site is a vast 33,000 km2 of islands, lagoon, coastal plain and mountains with extremely diverse marine life and terrestrial landforms. The grid is divided into four off-grid microgrids. The focus of this presentation is about three of the microgrids that are very similar in size and operation. Each of these microgrids includes two PV generation (total 6 MW), two battery storages (total 5MW, ~18 MWh), and two emergency backup diesel generators (~ total 3.8 MW). The system is designed to achieve high reliability by having redundancy at various levels.

Reactive Power based LCOE Analysis

23:55 Webinars  
High penetration of solar PV energy fed into an electrical grid brings its share of challenges making the grid volatile which requires stabilizing variable energy. This presentation addresses one such challenge, of voltage profile improvement with reactive power compensation at the point of interconnection. A solar PV plant is rated in terms of power (either AC or DC) and is typically not rated for their reactive counterparts (MVAr). IEEE 1547/UL 1741 compliant inverters will typically not have reactive power capability and operate with a unity power factor. Although modern inverters have a capacity to supply reactive power in the range of +0.9 lead/-0.9 lag, the PV plant is rated based on the AC power supplied by the inverter at unity PF. Operational data sourced from various plants in India suggest that a typical utility-scale PV plant provides reactive energy in the range of 7% to 10%. This leads to an inherent error in the per-unit cost calculation, as when the inverter providing the reactive power, the active power is hampered. This paper showcases a cost-to-benefit analysis of various scenarios, such as unity power.

Using ETAP to Evaluate Ground Fault Trips in a Microgrid

21:17 Webinars  
Adding distributed generation sources to existing power distribution systems and the implementation of islanding microgrid capability introduce protection and control challenges if not properly designed. Each new generator may present a new source ground fault current to the system, which can result in unanticipated breaker operation. Energy Systems Group, was using ETAP to model the system and check coordination of local and remote breakers can reduce downtime and troubleshooting.

Modeling and Analysis of a Microgrid for a Wastewater Treatment Plant - AECOM

16:21 Webinars  
Engineering and operation objectives of mission-critical facilities require a reliable and secure power supply system. Microgrids have become the leading technological solution for a resilient and sustainable supply of electricity for critical infrastructures. This paper presents ETAP-based power system studies of a microgrid designed for a mission-critical facility, a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP). The microgrid consists of a behind-the-meter (BTM) solar photovoltaic (PV) system, a battery energy storage system (BESS), a combined heat and power (CHP) generator, and standby diesel generators. We modeled this microgrid by leveraging the ETAP software and performed power system studies for both grid-connected and islanded modes of operation. Several scenarios were created based on different loading conditions and power source combinations, which are utilized to validate the power system studies. We will discuss the model of the power system investigated, operational strategy and sequences of operation, findings, challenges, lessons learned, and future works.

Unit Capability Validation, an Analytical Approach for MOD-25 Compliance

23:34 Webinars  
It is crucial to define the reactive power limits to evaluate the voltage support available under normal, abnormal and emergency operations with the unit's safe functioning. Published generator thermal capabilities curves, produced by the manufacturer, define the limits for safe operation based on the generator design's thermal limitations. Practically, the available reactive capability differs from the published equipment curves due to plant specific design and operating constraints. This presentation discusses a theoretical approach utilizing a simplified electrical distribution system and an ETAP model to identify and validate the plant-specific unit capability. 

Intelligent Microgrid Management - Part 2

26:45 Webinars  
This webinar examines the microgrid controller’s architecture, hardware deployment workflow, and a range of advanced monitoring tools. Learn how ETAP Digital Twin platform enables the design and deployment of ETAP's Intelligent μGrid™ solution.
 
 


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