An innovative tunable rule-based strategy for the predictive management of hybrid microgrids

This work proposes a methodology for the optimal training of rule-based management strategies, to be directly implemented in the industrial controller of hybrid off-grid microgrids. The parameters defining the control rules are optimally tuned resorting to different evolutionary algorithms, based on the expected operating conditions. The performance of the resulting management heuristics is compared with conventional approaches to optimal scheduling, including Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP) optimization, direct evolutionary scheduling optimization, and traditional non-trained heuristics. Results show how the trained heuristics achieve a performance very close to the global optimum found by the MILP solution, outperforming the other methods, and providing a single-layer commitment and dispatch algorithm which is easily deployable in the microgrid controller.