Efficiency analysis of AC coupled and DC coupled microgrids considering load profile variations

Distributed generation based neighborhood microgrids are gaining popularity because of their ability to generate power locally at high efficiencies. However, it is difficult to analyze the efficiency of these systems because of the random usage patterns of household appliances. This paper proposes a stochastic technique to estimate the household load profiles using Poisson process and Queue theory for a small community-based microgrid. Using the estimated load profiles, the efficiency of the system for each household and the community are evaluated for two different microgrid topologies: AC and DC coupled microgrids. Preliminary results show that the Queue theory is able to estimate the individual load profiles, and the diversity in the load patterns has a significant effect on the efficiency of the microgrid system. Moreover, the average efficiencies of the AC coupled and DC coupled system were found to be 88.5 % and 78.5 %, respectively.