Microgrids: Modelling, Control, and Energy Management

Welcome to Microgrids: Modelling, Control, and Energy Management

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 the 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, andapplications. The course participants will learn about advanced modeling, control strategies, operation management systems, and protection 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.
• Energy storage systems for Microgrids.
• Virtual synchronize generators.
• Control of Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) Systems.
• Advanced grid synchronization systems.
• Advanced Protection Methods for DC Microgrids
• IoT-enabled Microgrids.
• Energy management system for microgrids and its applications.
• Mobile Ad-hoc microgrids and community microgrids.
• Microgrid clusters control and operation management.

Prerequisites: Familiarity with basics of power systems operations, mathematical modelling, and programming skills. Basic understanding of classic control theory, such as the derivation of transfer functions based on block diagrams and stability criteria, and familiarity with MATLAB/Simulink. Knowledge on power electronics modelling and control theory is recommended for the exercises. GAMS will be used in 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 about distributed energy storage systems and their interactions within Microgrids design and holistic operation.
• Understand and code communication technology and IoT-enabled microgrids 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 (MILP, stochastic optimization, receding horizon strategy, and evolutionary methods) and tools such as MATLAB and GAMS for different applications such as Residential MGs and MG clusters.
• Develop resilience-oriented control and operation management systems for mobile Ad-hoc and community microgrids.
• Develop advanced protection methods for DC microgrids.

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 one month after the course.

Organizer: Assistant Professor Najmeh Bazmohammadi naj@energy.aau.dk, Associate Professor Yajuan Guan ygu@energy.aau.dk

Lecturers: Professor Juan C. Vasques AAU Energi, Associate Professor Yajuan Guan AAU Energi, Associate Professor Sanjay Chaudhary AAU Energi, Associate Saeed Golestan AAU Energi, Associate Baoze Wei AAU Energi, Associate Professor Amin Hajizadeh AAU Energi, Assistant Najmeh Bazmohammadi AAU Energi, Assistant Professor Ali Akhavan AAU Energi, Assistant Professor Abderezak Lashab AAU Energi, Postdoc Babak Arbab Zavar AAU Energi, Postdoc Yun Yu AAU Energi

ECTS: 4

Time: Date 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 July

Place: Aalborg University

City: Aalborg

Maximal number of participants: 30

Deadline: 15 June 2026

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.