Abstract
In response to growing environmental concerns and the imperative to reduce carbon emissions, the U.S. electrical grid is increasingly incorporating inverter-based renewable energy sources. This thesis details the development of an innovative layered control strategy designed to enhance the integration of such renewable sources with the utility electrical distribution grid across the point of interconnect of a facility or complex. Spearheaded by the Energy and Grid Systems Integration team at Idaho National Laboratory (INL), the strategy capitalizes on the bidirectional power capabilities of battery storage systems to counteract the fluctuating nature of renewable energy generation and consequent load variations. The approach was rigorously tested in a microgrid laboratory utilizing the Relocatable Resiliency Alternative Power Improvement for Distribution Microgrid in a Box (RAPID-MIB), under scenarios involving both grid interaction and emulation. The findings reveal that the application of this control strategy to two standard methods—Frequency-Watt and Volt/VAR—successfully stabilizes the power distribution level in settings characterized by low grid inertia and high renewable energy penetration. The results from the research underscores the potential for advanced control techniques to alleviate grid stress and facilitate a greater influx of renewable distributed energy resources, thereby contributing to the broader objective of achieving a more sustainable and resilient power infrastructure.