Microgrids: Modelling Control and Energy Management (2025)

Welcome to Microgrids: Modelling, Control, and Energy Management (2025)

Description: A Microgrid can be defined as a part of the grid with distributed energy resources, power electronic converters, distributed energy storage systems, and local loads, that can operate autonomously but also interacting with the main grid. The functionalities expected for these small grids are black start operation, frequency and voltage stability, active and reactive power flow control, active power filter capabilities, and storage and energy management. This way, the energy can be generated and stored near the consumption points, increasing reliability, and reducing the losses produced by the large power lines.

The Microgrids course aims at offering a comprehensive introduction to AC and DC Microgrids, their operating and control challenges, opportunities, and applications. The course participants will learn about advanced modeling, control strategies, and operation management systems for Microgrids in both grid-connected and islanded modes, and for mobile Ad-hoc microgrids, community microgrids, and microgrid clusters. Moreover, stability analysis, advanced grid synchronization techniques, energy management and communication systems, and Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled energy and asset operation managements are explored to ensure efficiency, reliability, and resilience operation of Microgrids.

The key areas that are covered by the course include:  

• Microgrid concept, challenges, and requirements. 
• Hierarchical control of AC/DC Microgrids. 
• Grid-forming and Grid-following Inverters, Frequency and voltage droop control. 
• Modeling and stability analysis of Microgrids. 
• Virtual synchronize generators. 
• Control of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems.  
• Advanced grid synchronization systems.  
• IoT-enabled Microgrids. 
• Energy management system for microgrids and its applications. 
• Mobile Ad-hoc microgrids and community microgrids. 
• Microgrid clusters control and operation management. 

Key words: Microgrids; Hierarchical control; Grid forming and grid following; Grid Synchronization; Energy Management; Power Quality

Prerequisites: Familiarity with basics of power systems operations, mathematical modelling, and programming skills. Basic understanding of classic control theory and familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink. Knowledge on power electronics modelling and control theory is recommended for the exercises. 

Learning objectives: 

By the end of this course, participants will be able to: 

• Understand the Microgrids concept, their challenges, applications, and architectures (AC/DC/hybrid). 
• Analyze and simulate modeling and control design of power electronic interfaces AC-AC, AC-DC, DC-DC, and AC-DC for Microgrid specifications.  
• Understand and conduct stability analysis for AC and DC Microgrids.   
• Analyze and design grid forming and grid following inverters for Microgrids. 
• Understand communication technologies and IoT and their applications for monitoring, control, and energy and asset management systems.      
• Design and develop advanced grid synchronization techniques, phase-locked loops, and frequency-locked loops, including small signal modeling, control, and analysis.  
• Develop advanced energy management systems for microgrids using advanced optimization techniques.  
• Develop resilience-oriented control and operation management systems for mobile Ad-hoc and community microgrids. 

Teaching methods: Lectures, Group work, Presentations, Small assignments, Excercise

Form of evaluation: The participants will be grouped and asked to work and present multiple case studies during the course including the preparation of a final report to be sent to the lecturers within three weeks after the course. 

Criteria for assessment: The participants will be evaluated both individually and in groups during the hands-on sessions over the course period and their final reports.

Remarks: In total about 112 hours (4×28h): 26 hours teaching, 6 hours practicing, 15 hours for preparations, 65 for the assignments and final reporting) 

Organizer: 

• Assoc. Prof. Yajuan Guan
• Assist. Prof. Najmeh Bazmohammadi

Lecturers: 

• Prof. Juan C. Vasquez, juq@energy.aau.dk;  
• Assoc. Prof. Yajuan Guan, ygu@energy.aau.dk; 
• Assoc. Prof. Sanjay Chaudhary, skc@energy.aau.dk; 
• Assoc. Prof. Saeed Golestan, sgd@energy.aau.dk; 
• Assoc. Prof. Baoze Wei, bao@energy.aau.dk; 
• Assist. Prof. Najmeh Bazmohammadi, naj@energy.aau.dk; 
• Postdoc. Ali Akhavan, alak@energy.aau.dk; 
• Postdoc. Abderezak Lashab, abl@energy.aau.dk; 
• Postdoc. Babak Arbab Zavar, baz@energy.aau.dk; 
• Postdoc. Yun Yu, yyu@et.aau.dk; 

ECTS: 4.0

Time: 19 - 23 May 2025

Place: Aalborg University, AAU Energy in Aalborg and Online

Zip code: 9220

City: Aalborg

Maximal number of participants: 25

Deadline: 28 April 2025

Course fee: PhD Students (outside Denmark): 6000 DKK and other participants (from Industry and Universities): 8000 DKK (excluding VAT)
Guests at AAU Energy can also attend the course for free.

Important information concerning PhD courses: 

There is a no-show fee of DKK 3,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start of the course.

We cannot ensure any seats before the deadline for enrolment, all participants will be informed after the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the start of the course.

For inquiries regarding registration, cancellation or waiting list, please contact the PhD administration at phdcourses@adm.aau.dk When contacting us please state the course title and course period. Thank you.