Micro Grid Technological Activities across the Globe : a Review

Innovations in technologies, economic benefits, quality requirements and environmental concerns are changing the face of the existing power system. Centralized generating facilities are giving way to smaller, more distributed generation partially due to the loss of traditional economies of scale. The need of an intelligent grid, better known as Micro grid at the distribution end, has been recognized to accommodate distributed energy resources (DERs) and renewable energy technologies on large scale. Micro grids can provide improved electric service reliability and better power quality to end customers and can also benefit local utilities by providing dispatch able load for use during peak power conditions or allowing system repairs without effecting customer loads. This paper highlights the concept, benefits and features of Micro Grids. The main technical challenges in the design, operation and control of Micro Grids are briefly outlined that must be overcome for their implementation effectively. The paper also presents a review the researches and activities of Micro Grid technology across the globe. It introduces the current Micro Grid research projects, especially in Europe, United State, Japan, Canada and India.