Distributed Control of Energy Storage Systems in Microgrid Applications

Distributed control of energy storage systems (ESS) in microgrids has emerged as a pivotal strategy for integrating variable renewable sources, enhancing resilience and ensuring stable operation under diverse conditions. In a microgrid context, multiple smaller storage units—often battery energy storage systems—must coordinate autonomously to share power, balance state of charge and regulate voltage and frequency without reliance on a central controller. Approaches range from fully decentralised droop schemes, which adjust power output in response to local voltage or frequency deviations, to hierarchical architectures that combine primary local control with secondary consensus‐based coordination. Multi‐agent frameworks introduce distributed intelligence, enabling each storage unit to communicate with neighbours, reach agreement on charging or discharging schedules and adapt to changing load or generation profiles. Advanced methods incorporate adaptive droop coefficients, cost‐based dispatch and digital filters to mitigate state-of-charge imbalance and minimise degradation. These strategies are equally applicable to islanded and grid-connected modes, across alternating-current and direct-current microgrids. By leveraging peer-to-peer communication and real-time control algorithms, distributed control enhances plug-and-play integration, reduces single-point failures and supports global objectives of decarbonisation, energy autonomy and improved power quality in both urban and remote installations.

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Distributed Control of Energy Storage Systems in Microgrid Applications publication trend

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Technical terms

Microgrid: A localised power network that can operate independently from or in parallel with the main grid, integrating distributed generation and storage.

Energy Storage System (ESS): Devices that store electrical energy—commonly batteries—for later dispatch to balance supply and demand in a power system.

Droop control: A decentralised method for sharing power among generators or storage units by varying output according to voltage or frequency deviations.

State of Charge (SoC): A measure of the remaining capacity of a battery, expressed as a percentage of its total energy storage capability.

Consensus algorithm: A distributed control technique whereby multiple units exchange information to agree on a common variable, such as reference power or average SoC.

Multi‐agent system (MAS): A framework in which autonomous agents (storage units) communicate and cooperate to achieve collective control objectives without a central authority.

References

1. Hierarchical distributed control for decentralized battery energy storage system based on consensus algorithm with pinning node. Protection and Control of Modern Power Systems (2018).
2. Novel Droop Control of Battery Energy Storage Systems Based on Battery Degradation Cost in Islanded DC Microgrids. IEEE Access (2020).
3. Strategies for Controlling Microgrid Networks with Energy Storage Systems: A Review. Energies (2021).
4. A Fully Filter-Based Decentralized Control With State of Charge Balancing Strategy for Battery Energy Storage Systems in Autonomous DC Microgrid Applications. IEEE Access (2021).
5. SOC Balancing and Coordinated Control Based on Adaptive Droop Coefficient Algorithm for Energy Storage Units in DC Microgrid. Energies (2022).