Can Integrating SoC Management in Economic Dispatch Enhance Real-Time Operation of a Microgrid?

The aim of this paper is to develop a self-adaptive control methodology capable of optimizing in real-time the operation of PV-powered microgrids by dynamically managing both the output powers of battery energy storage systems (BESSs) and power exchanges with the utility grid. Control actions are evaluated by solving a constrained multi-objective optimization problem that integrates the optimal state-of-charge (SoC) management of BESSs within a broader economic dispatch framework. In this way, the SoC is continuously optimized alongside other economic objectives, such as minimizing operating costs and maximizing revenues from energy sales to the grid, while maintaining the microgrid’s energy balance. This ensures that BESSs operate efficiently within their optimal ranges, preventing premature depletion or overload and thereby safeguarding overall microgrid performance. To enable real-time adaptability, the methodology employs a Lyapunov-based optimization algorithm combined with a sensitivity analysis, ensuring rapid convergence to optimal solutions, even under rapidly changing conditions. Computer simulations performed on a low-voltage PV-BESS-based microgrid under different operating conditions confirm the effectiveness of the proposed methodology in enhancing real-time economic performance, operational efficiency, and microgrid reliability.