Recent trends and developments in protection systems for microgrids incorporating distributed generation

Abstract

Microgrids are integral to power grids; they enhance grid reliability by integrating distributed generators (DGs) to fulfill the local load requirements, lowering energy generation costs, and providing eco-friendly energy resources to reduce carbon emissions. Despite their benefits, new capabilities also introduce protection-related complexities, including bidirectional power flow, varying fault currents, false tripping, relay reach limitations, coordination issues, and the requirement for proper grounding. This article offers a detailed review of protection issues in AC, DC, and hybrid AC-DC microgrids, investigating existing approaches to address these issues. Furthermore, the constraints and hurdles associated with these approaches and the future trends and intelligent approaches required to develop a reliable and efficient protection strategy are also identified in this article.