Want to Download and use the model yourself? See the link at the end of the article!
Overview
At the end of the Spring 2022 term, UREC completed our model of UVic as a microgrid using Simulink! That’s a lot to take in, so here’s a brief overview of what that means. A microgrid is a kind of local connection of electrical loads and sources that is sometimes connected to a larger grid. Think an airport, a small town, or a university! Not all of these examples are setup as microgrids, however, the key is that there is some kind of energy independence and energy management.
Why?
Microgrid Infrastructure has become a hot topic of research and development as of late with the introduction of more distributed energy systems, Internet of Things technology, and the cost benefits of producing and selling power back to the grid. Not to mention the potential benefits of reducing climate change impacts. Large institutions with a lot of infrastructure and land are prime candidates for implementation of microgrid technology. With UVic looking to be more sustainable and implement more renewable energy sources, UREC decided this would a great example of what a simplified microgrid system would look like.
UREC’s UVic Microgrid Model
The project has been worked on by many team members, but in the end was completed mostly by our very own Andrew Rose (Seen presenting below). The program uses 2019 power and weather data along with actual solar panel, wind turbine, and battery bank systems to model that years load and productions. The model is simplified and by no means a professional tool. As such, any simulations done using the program cannot be used for scholarly or professional analysis. The program is meant to show, in a generalized and approximate sense, how a microgrid at UVic would work and what each power source could produce!
How to Interact
What you can do is input how many solar panels, battery banks, and wind turbines are installed in 2019 and see how it affects produced, stored, campus demand, and sold to the grid power. The model uses specific power sources and batteries along with actual power and weather data but approximates efficiencies and inputs. More information regarding limitations, components, and sources is provided in the folders available in the download package below.
Note: you need to download MATLAB, Simulink, and two packages noted in the README to run the simulation.
Click Here to Download: UREC_Microgrid_Zip_V2
We hope you enjoy this project as much as we did making it! Feel free to play around with it and make any improvements you would like. Remember, this is not a professional tool. If you have any questions, feel free to shoot UREC an email, or email one of the contributors at Nathan dot Lawko at Gmail dot com.
