page_title: Microgrid
section_title: Microgrid control
hierarchical_section_title: Microgrid / Microgrid control
caption_attribution_description: English: Microgrid Hierarchical Control, schema
context_page_description: A microgrid is a decentralized group of electricity sources and loads that normally operates connected to and synchronous with the traditional wide area synchronous grid, but can also disconnect to "island mode" — and function autonomously as physical or economic conditions dictate.
  In this way, a microgrid can effectively integrate various sources of distributed generation, especially Renewable Energy Sources - renewable electricity, and can supply emergency power, changing between island and connected modes.
  Control and protection are challenges to microgrids. A very important feature is also to provide multiple end-use needs as heating, cooling, and electricity at the same time since this allows energy carrier substitution and increased energy efficiency due to waste heat utilization for heating, domestic hot water, and cooling purposes.
  Microgrids are best served as localized energy sources where power transmission and distribution from a major centralized energy source is too far and costly to execute.
context_section_description: In regards to the architecture of microgrid control, or any control problem, there are two different approaches that can be identified: centralized and decentralized. A fully centralized control relies on a large amount of information transmittence between involving units and then the decision is made at a single point. Hence, it will present a big problem in implementation since interconnected power systems usually cover extended geographic locations and involves an enormous number of units. On the other hand, in a fully decentralized control, each unit is controlled by
  its local controller without knowing the situation of others. A compromise between those two extreme control schemes can be achieved by means of a hierarchical control scheme consisting of three control levels: primary, secondary, and tertiary.
caption: Hierarchical Control
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