Storage and non-Storage Methods of Power balancing to counter Uncertainty in Hybrid Microgrids - A review

In the wake of the important role microgrids are playing in integration of renewable energy sources into power grid, their ability to deal with uncertainty of power availability from renewable sources has to be enhanced. A lot of research is carried out and various methods are proposed, tested and reported in literature. Reported methods differ widely from each other in terms of their principle of achieving power balance and required infrastructure. Such methods have been reported as an integral part of various energy management systems. Present article aims at appraising the application of such methods in power balancing in microgrids with renewable generators. The reported methods are reviewed and categorized into various groups based on their principle of operation, infrastructure required, part of the microgrid from which such methods are implemented etc. The various methods reviewed are presented along with their mathematical models, which the readers may use with suitable modifications for their problem formulations. Their merits and demerits in application to power balancing in microgrids are discussed.