IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - July/August 2017 - 4

from the editor

Michael Henderson

microgrid controllers
their important role in the system

In This Issue
our microgrid controllers issue discusses
several applications of these advanced
state-of-the-art technologies. the control-
lers must flexibly provide service to criti-
cal loads under a wide variety of operating
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/MPE.2017.2691378
Date of publication: 16 June 2017

4

ieee power & energy magazine

©istockphoto.com/phototechno

M

Microgrids Meet resiliency
and reliability needs by effectively pro-
viding an uninterruptable power supply to
critical loads. they may also improve
environmental performance by facilitat-
ing renewable resource integration, such
as photovoltaics and combined heat and
power plants. Microgrids afford oppor-
tunities for economically delivering en-
ergy, capacity, and ancillary services.
As a result of all of these and other fac-
tors, several policy makers are actively
promoting microgrid development.
the business and legal hurdles of es-
tablishing a microgrid can be daunting
and often prove more difficult than the
physical issues. these include establish-
ing clear lines of responsibility among
many different entities constructing, op -
erating, maintaining, and owning mi-
crogrid facilities; getting power purchase
agreements in place; equitably sharing
operating and maintenance costs; sit-
ing and permitting physical equipment; re-
specting workforce rules across multiple
parties; and coordinating operating agree-
ments among the host utility system, mi-
crogrid operator, and loads. Microgrid rate
making and contractual arrangements can
prove quite complex.

conditions, including power transfers to
and from the interconnecting utility and
self-sufficient operation in isolated mode.
Fault detection and isolation schemes
must have the ability to function under a
wide range of short circuit availability and
power flow conditions. the state of the
microgrid can be highly variable as a result
of configuration changes from forced and
maintenance outage conditions, different
levels and rate of change of demand, and
many output states of supply resources
that often include photovoltaics. the phys-
ical operation of the microgrid must also
respect its business model by minimizing
the cost of operation.
our guest editors, Mani Venkata and
Mohammad shahidehpour, collected

seven articles and an "in My View"
column that discuss many of the latest
developments of microgrid controllers.
their guest editorial summarizes the
theme and introduces articles that fea-
ture means of realizing the full potential
of microgrids through microgrid controller
design and operation; the importance of
microgrid controller standards, testing,
and integration with the host distribution
system; and case studies of the design ar-
chitecture, implementation, testing, and
operation of microgrid controllers.

History
A warm welcome to Hyde Merrill, our
new associate editor, History. this issue
features a terrific column by Andrew
july/august 2017
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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of IEEE Power & Energy Magazine - July/August 2017
