ABB is providing a control system and expertise for a new microgrid research laboratory in Italy.
ABB is supplying technical support and a real-time monitoring and control system for a smart microgrid pilot project at the Politecnico di Bari technical university in Bari, Italy. The control architecture provided by ABB will help the university conduct research into how power generation resources can feed electrical and thermal loads at minimum cost in islanded or grid-connected microgrids.
The experimental microgrid comprises a microturbine-based combined heat and power system, an internal combustion engine based cogenerator, a photovoltaic generator, two flywheels, a wind turbine simulator, a battery storage system, and a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) system equipped with two electric vehicles and two charging stations.
The microgrid will be monitored and controlled in real time from a control room where an ABB Symphony Plus monitoring and control system is installed. This is the core of the microgrid. The laboratory will simulate the future energy system of residential buildings, shopping centers and industrial areas.
“ABB’s Symphony Plus provides us with a great opportunity to develop microgrid technology as we research new software and algorithms to optimize short-term and real-time operation of the experimental microgrid,” said Professor Michele Trovato, head of the project. “ABB is a trusted supplier of state-ofthe-art solutions and a first-class technical and scientific partner with whom we can explore new areas of collaboration.”
The Symphony Plus solution will provide efficient and optimized control and enable research teams to rapidly and easily test microgrid technologies. The solution will optimally manage a number of key parameters including generation and storage resources, generation resources when the microgrid is in island mode, energy storage and the exchange of energy with the grid, and component monitoring and control.
The heart of ABB’s portfolio for microgrids is its proven control and grid stabilization technologies, which can integrate up to 100 percent of a microgrid’s renewable energy resources, while maintaining the highest levels of grid stability and reliability. Our portfolio encompasses a comprehensive range of enabling technologies including inverters, converters for wind turbines, energy storage systems, control systems and grid connections – all supported by ABB’s broad experience in microgrid engineering and project execution.
ABB has delivered more than 80 microgrid solutions worldwide, more than any other supplier. These include solutions for hybrid microgrids, the integration of renewable energy generation intofuel-based microgrids, and stabilization and flow optimization solutions for existing microgrids.