In designing procedure of a power sharing controller for a voltage source converter (VSC)-based microgrid with no communication link, three issues should be considered. Firstly, in VSCbased microgrids, which use droop controller method, the desired frequency of VSCs is altering regarding the output active power. Consequently, the conventional load frequency control techniques are inappropriate since their operation is based on a fixed prespecified desired frequency. Secondly, to prevent circulating current and thermally overstressing, all DGs should participate in active power supply. In addition, since there is no communication link, the steady state value of each micro-source active power is unknown. Therefore, the conventional fixed active power control method for DGs is not appropriate. Thirdly, when the microgrid loads are increased, the output power of VSCs is increased rapidly; however, the output power of each VSC's primary source could not change in the same rate to respond. It causes the DC voltage of VSCs to decrease, which could affect the appropriate performance of VSCs. In this paper, a novel control strategy for VSCs and an energy storage system in a VSC-based microgrid without communication link accompanied with a novel hybrid model of VSC-based DGs, which considers primary source effect, is proposed.

Rising demand, climate change, growing fuel costs, outdated power system infrastructures, and new power generation technologies have made renewable distribution generators very attractive in recent years. Because of the increasing penetration level of renewable energy sources in addition to the growth of new electrical demand sectors, such as electrical vehicles, the power system may face serious problems and challenges in the near future. A revolutionary new power grid system, called smart grid, has been developed as a solution to these problems. The smart grid, equipped with modern communication and computation infrastructures, can coordinate different parts of the power system to enhance energy efficiency, reliability, and quality, while decreasing the energy cost. Since conventional distribution networks lack smart infrastructures, much research has been recently done in the distribution part of the smart grid, called smart distribution grid (SDG). This paper surveys contemporary literature in SDG from the perspective of the electricity market in addition to power system considerations. For this purpose, this paper reviews current demand side management methods, supply side management methods, and electrical vehicle charging and discharging techniques in SDG and also discusses their drawbacks. We also present future research directions to tackle new and existing challenges in the SDG.