arXiv subjects

Kate Anderson

Publications and source records attributed to Kate Anderson.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2021

Microgrid Resilience: A Holistic and Context-Aware Resilience Metric

Microgrids present an effective solution for the coordinated deployment of various distributed energy resources and furthermore provide myriad additional benefits such as resilience, decreased carbon footprint, and reliability to energy consumers and the energy system as a whole. Boosting the resilience of distribution systems is another major benefit of microgrids. This is because they can also serve as a backup power source when the utility grid operations are interrupted due to either high-probability low-impact events like a component failure or low-probability high-impact events - be it a natural disaster or a planned cyberattack. However, the degree to which any particular system can defend, adapt, and restore normal operation depends on various factors including the type and severity of events to which a microgrid is subjected. These factors, in turn, are dependent on the geographical location of the deployed microgrid as well as the cyber risk profile of the site where the microgrid is operating. Therefore, in this work, we attempt to capture this multi-dimensional interplay of various factors in quantifying the ability of the microgrid to be resilient in these varying aspects. This paper, thus, proposes a customized site-specific quantification of the resilience strength for the individual microgrid capability to absorb, restore, and adapt to the changing circumstances for sustaining the critical load when a low-probability high-impact event occurs - termed as - context-aware resilience metric. We also present a case study to illustrate the key elements of our integrated analytical approach.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2020

Computational Framework for Behind-The-Meter DER Techno-Economic Modeling and Optimization -- REopt Lite

The global energy system is undergoing a major transformation. Renewable energy generation is growing and is projected to accelerate further with the global emphasis on decarbonization. Furthermore, distributed generation is projected to play a significant role in the new energy system, and energy models are playing a key role in understanding how distributed generation can be integrated reliably and economically. The deployment of massive amounts of distributed generation requires understanding the interface of technology, economics, and policy in the energy modeling process. In this work, we present an end-to-end computational framework for distributed energy resource (DER) modeling, REopt Lite which addresses this need effectively. We describe the problem space, the building blocks of the model, the scaling capabilities of the design, the optimization formulation, and the accessibility of the model. We present a framework for accelerating the techno-economic analysis of behind-the-meter distributed energy resources to enable rapid planning and decision-making, thereby significantly boosting the rate the renewable energy deployment. Lastly, but equally importantly, this computation framework is open-sourced to facilitate transparency, flexibility, and wider collaboration opportunities within the worldwide energy modeling community.

cs.OH↗

arXiv2020

Probabilistic Resilience of DER systems -- A Simulation Assisted Optimization Approach

Energy systems resilience is becoming increasingly important as the frequency of major grid outages increases. In this work, we present a methodology to optimize a behind-the-meter distributed energy resource system to sustain a site's critical loads during a pre-defined utility outage period. With the fixed system design, we then propose an outage simulation approach to estimate the resilience potential of the DER system to sustain loads beyond the fixed outage period - a yearlong resilience performance analysis. We apply statistical analysis to assess the system's resilience performance over a broader parametric problem space on an hourly, monthly, and yearly basis. We present a case study to demonstrate the impact of the pre-defined outage period on the resilience performance of the system. The case study shows that the probability of surviving a random outage of a given duration changes from 20 percent to 95 percent when the outage is modeled for a weekday instead of a weekend for the case study building.

eess.SY↗

arXiv2019

Microgrid Resilience: A holistic approach for assessing threats, identifying vulnerabilities, and designing corresponding mitigation strategies

Microgrids are being increasing deployed to improve the operational flexibility, resilience, coordinated-energy management capabilities, self-adequacy, and increased reliability of power systems. This strong market growth is also driven by advances in power electronics, improved control systems, and the rapidly falling price and increased adoption of distributed energy generation technologies, like solar photovoltaics and storage. In the event of grid outages, microgrids can provide a backup source of power; providing resilience to the critical loads; however, this requires that the microgrid itself is resilient to physical and cyber threats. Building highly resilient microgrids requires a methodological assessment of potential threats, identification of vulnerabilities, and design of mitigation strategies. This paper provides a comprehensive review of threats, vulnerabilities, and mitigation strategies and develops a definition for microgrid resilience. The paper also develops a methodology for designing resilient microgrids by considering how microgrid designers and site owners evaluate threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences and choose the microgrid features required to address these threats under different situations.

eess.SY↗