Multi-energy microgrids could result in more flexibility and increase reliability by interconnecting networks. Electricity and gas networks exhibit very different dynamic behaviours in response to a fault or failure. Gas networks have built-in energy storages that can continue to provide a reliable supply if gas inputs to the system are compromised. This study presents a novel reliability assessment method applied to multi-energy microgrids; the method combines an incidence matrix analysis that identifies the connectivity between sources and load points with a sequential Monte Carlo simulation and generation adequacy evaluation. A case study is conducted by using an electricity-gas microgrid. The electricity network is a multi-sourced grid, whereas the gas network is supplied by a biogas plant. The linepack (gas stored along the pipelines) is modelled to account for the slower gas dynamics. The proposed method is evaluated on a real-world electricity distribution network in Austria. The results indicate the reliability benefits of forming a multi-energy microgrid.
INTRODUCTIONEnergy networks are being transformed into flexible, intelligent, and interconnected systems. Most of these changes are due to the advances in technology [1, 2], changes in energy policy, and economic factors, which have enabled the deployment of distributed energy resources (DERs).To further decarbonize energy systems, hydrogen can be used as a zero-carbon alternative to natural gas in energy networks [3]. This can be accomplished by employing power-togas (PtG) technologies [4] on the consumer side, with excess renewable electricity used to produce green hydrogen. For PtG to provide a sustainable solution, the electricity system must adopt decarbonization by shutting down fossil-based generators and accelerating the deployment of wind, solar, and nuclear power at the transmission level and DERs, such as biomass, microgeneration, and energy storage systems, at the distribution level [5].Integration between electric and gas grids could play a crucial role [6] in accommodating the demand growth while meeting climate-change targets. This aspect is vital in distribution systems, which are increasingly becoming more active, and the This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.