Minimizing unbalances in low-voltage microgrids: Optimal scheduling of distributed resources

•The paper deals with unbalanced low voltage microgrids.•Unbalances are a critical issue as they can increase losses and heating effects.•A strategy is proposed that reduces voltage unbalances and minimizes other objectives.

In this paper, a comprehensive strategy for the scheduling of unbalanced microgrids is proposed. The microgrids are characterized by the presence of a variety of distributed resources, such as data centers, electric vehicles, and distributed generation systems. The operation strategy is based on the solution of a multi-objective optimization problem, whose objective functions are related to specific services and requirements of the microgrid, such as cost minimization, power quality improvements, and energy savings. Particular attention is paid to the unbalances presence in the microgrid with the aim to outline how the proposed strategy is able to significantly reduce them taking contemporaneously into account other important economic and technical objectives. An analysis of the objectives and the different operational perspectives also is proposed, which allows us to exploit the effectiveness of the multi-objective approach. The results of numerical applications are presented to show the effects of the considered strategy in terms of achievable advantages.