Hierarchical Management for Building Microgrid Considering Virtual Storage System and Plug-in Electric Vehicles

This paper aims to develop a hierarchical management strategy for the building microgrid. The proposed hierarchical framework is presented as day-ahead scheduling stage and a two-layer intra-hour adjustment stage. Firstly, a virtual storage system (VSS) model is developed by utilizing the heat storage characteristics of a building. Then, the VSS model is integrated into the developed hierarchical management strategy of the building microgrid, which is presented as a day-ahead optimal economic scheduling stage for the minimum operation cost and an intra-hour adjustment stage to follow the tie-line power set-points. In the intra-hour real-time adjustment, a master-client structure is designed. The VSS and plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) are coordinated by a method with two different time scales in order to execute the schedule and handle uncertainties from the load demand, outdoor environment and the renewable generation in the intra-hour adjustment stage. Numerical studies demonstrate that the proposed strategy can contribute to the operation cost reduction in day-ahead scheduling stage and tie-line power smoothing in intra-hour adjustment stage, while guarantee the customer temperature comfort level and EVs travelling demands at the same time.