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In this paper, a new consensus-based distributed secondary control (DSC) strategy is proposed for frequency control, dc -voltage regulation, and optimal dispatch (OD) in isolated hybrid ac/dc - microgrids (HMGs). At the same time, all the units are maintained within limits. The proposed control scheme dispatches the distributed generators (DGs) within the microgrid in compliance with the Karush-Kuhn-Tucker (KKT) conditions of a linear optimal power flow (OPF) formulation. Furthermore, the power through the interlinking converters (ICs) is also dispatched to help minimize the total operation cost of the microgrid. The controllers rely on local measurements and information from neighbouring devices at both sides of the microgrid (DGs and ICs). Thus, unlike conventional methods, the microgrid is considered a single entity and not as three independent systems interacting with one another, and the OD is calculated considering both the ac -DGs and dc -DGs. Extensive simulations demonstrate a good performance of the controller amid load step changes and unit congestion, driving the system to an optimal economic operation.

This article presents a test facility for design validation of microgrids with high penetration of renewable energy, developed as a joint effort with industry, government, and academia. The Canadian Renewable Energy Laboratory (CANREL) described here is a physical simulation tool for the design, development, and performance testing of islanded and grid-connected microgrid projects. CANREL is equipped with a diesel generator, different renewable energy sources, various renewable energy generation simulators and physical systems, a bidirectional power-flow grid simulator, a battery- based energy-storage system, and controllable resistive?inductive?capacitive and electronic test loads for the design and testing of a variety of microgrid solutions. The test facility provides project performance demonstration and validation services at each stage of a microgrid project development to help utilities and project developers reduce risks. It is also a physical simulation tool for benchmarking microgrid equipment and controllers for research and development purposes. Some facility test results are presented in this article to demonstrate the capabilities of CANREL for simulating a wide range of scenarios.