Protection Coordination in Microgrids: Current Weaknesses, Available Solutions and Future Challenges
Sergio D. Saldarriaga-Zuluaga, Jesús M. López‐Lezama, Nicolás Muñóz-Galeano
Abstract
Coordination of microgrids protections is an emerging research issue due to the increasing participation of distributed generation (DG) in power grids. This review paper aims to show the current weaknesses in the coordination of protections for microgrids, as well as the available solutions and future challenges. The review evidences that microgrid protection systems must face two important aspects. The first one is the dynamic behavior presented by the microgrids that take place due to the intermittency of energy resources. The second one is related to the operation modes of the microgrids, since they may operate either connected or disconnected from the distribution network. The literature review also allowed classifying the most used protection schemes for microgrids. A comprehensive analysis which performs a discusion of the most relevant future challenges regarding microgrid protection coordination is also presented.