Optimal sizing for AC multi-bus microgrids based on solar, storage

<p class="p1"><span class="s1">A French–Moroccan research group has developed a two-stage hierarchical techno-economic model to optimize AC multi-bus microgrids in remote areas. This microgrid configuration is more complex than that of standalone systems but offers several advantages in terms of cost efficiency and energy reliability.</span></p><p>A group of researchers led by Hassan 2 University in Morocco has proposed a new methodology to develop and build the so-called multi-bus microgrids, which have a more complex structure compared to conventional standalone microgrids.</p>
<p>&#8220;Solar and storage offer several advantages in the multi-microgrid architecture,&#8221; the research's corresponding author, <span>Ayoub Chrif</span>, told <strong>pv magazine</strong>. &#8220;Our study demonstrated that integrating solar PV and battery storage in the multi-microgrid (MMG) configuration improves both cost efficiency and energy reliability, by reducing dependence on fossil-based backup and grid imports, significantly cutting operating costs.&#8221;</p>
<p>Chrif also explained that solar energy sharing between neighboring microgrids allows surplus PV power from one community to supply another facing a temporary deficit, minimizing curtailment and improving renewable utilization. &#8220;In addition, collective storage—where batteries across the network are coordinated—enables optimal energy balancing, peak shaving, and improved system resilience,&#8221; he went on to say.</p>
<p>The proposed multi-microgrid (MMG) framework was presented in the paper &#8220;<span class="title-text"><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590174525003782?via%3Dihub#fig1" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Techno-economic sizing and multi-objective energy management of AC multi-bus microgrids for enhanced reliability and cost efficiency: Application to small villages in Morocco</a>,&#8221; published in <em>Energy Conversion and Management X</em>. It was conceived as a tool enabling </span>peer-to-peer (P2P) energy exchange and coordinated dispatch of distributed resources through a hierarchical energy management system.</p>
<p>The scientists described an MMG as a microgrid with multiple interconnected nodes, with each node having a local load, generation sources, or energy storage, enabling localized power management. &#8220;These multi-bus microgrids enhance the flexibility and resilience of energy supply within a single system,&#8221; they stated.</p>
<figure class="wp-caption aligncenter" id="attachment_319061" style="width: 600px;"><img alt="" class="size-medium wp-image-319061" height="452" src="https://www.pv-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/1-s2.0-S2590174525003782-gr1_lrg-600x452.jpg" tabindex="0" width="600" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">MMG system architecture <p><i>Image: Hassan 2 University, Energy Conversion and Management X, CC BY-SA 4.0</i></p>
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<p>The <span class="list-content">two-stage hierarchical techno-economic model </span>for the optimization of an AC MMG system was shaped based on a real case study analyzed for a remote village in Morocco's Imlil region.</p>
<p>The first stage utilizes <span class="list-content">an enhanced Genetic Algorithm (GA) and an AI technique to identify the most cost-effective configuration of distributed renewable energy resources within each microgrid. The second stage uses a multi-objective energy management strategy to coordinate energy exchange among the interconnected MGs and the main grid.</span></p>
<p>The researchers also conducted a &#8220;comprehensive&#8221; analysis of both active and reactive power flows in an effort to identify multidirectional energy exchanges among interconnected microgrids to ensure voltage stability, power quality, and efficient energy distribution.</p>
<p>Their cost model considered installation and operational costs, as well as external economic factors such as equipment degradation, inflation, discount rates, and interest rates.</p>
<p><span class="list-label">They also proposed what they called an </span>incentive-demand response (IDR) scheme to encourage customers to adjust and reduce their consumption during peak periods. Furthermore, they compared the techno-economic performance of standalone MGs and MMGs.</p>
<p>The research group said that the proposed modeling showed that a 4.6% reduction in operational costs through peer-to-peer (P2P) energy exchange and grid reliance minimization is possible for the case study involving a modified IEEE 5-bus system. &#8220;Results highlight voltage stability, effective battery utilization, and resilience in islanding mode, with 10% cost reduction from demand response,&#8221; they stated.</p>
<p>&#8220;Morocco has one of the highest solar potentials in the world, with annual irradiation ranging between 1,900 and 2,600 kWh/m²/year and more than 2,800 sunshine hours per year,&#8221; Chrif concluded. &#8220;Solar energy, therefore, plays a central role in the country’s renewable energy roadmap and in microgrid projects.&#8221;</p>
<p>The research group comprised scientists from France's CY Cergy-Paris University and Nantes University.</p>
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