Claudio Canizares

Presentations:

Microgrids Overview

Microgrids are not new to power systems, since these local and small grids have been widely deployed and utilized for decades to supply electricity in remote and isolated communities such as islands and remote villages throughout the world. However, more recently, there has been a rapid development and deployment of microgrids in the context of smart and resilient power networks and cities, in good part motivated by the need to integrate distributed generation, especially if powered by renewable resources such as wind and solar, to reduce operational costs and environmental impact, as well as increase energy resiliency, particularly in diesel-depended isolated microgrids.

The presentation will provide a general overview of microgrids and the research work being carried out by Prof. Canizares’ group at the University of Waterloo on the area, including a summary of a survey carried out by the group on remote microgrids in Canada, and a detailed description of the microgrid in one of these communities, namely, the Kasabonika Lake First Nation (KLFN) community microgrid in Northern Ontario, where a one-year measuring campaign was carried out to identify main technical issues associated with these kinds of microgrids. A general description of the group’s main research contributions and findings in the area of microgrids, with several practical examples, will be provided, focusing on dispatch, control, stability, and optimal planning. In particular, the following subjects will be discussed in some detail: Energy Management Systems (EMS) considering renewable power uncertainty; thermal energy system integration in microgrids with high penetration of variable renewable power; voltage and frequency control and stability and its definitions, modeling, simulation, and analysis; optimal placement and sizing of renewable power equipment for minimization of costs and diesel use, considering secure system operation; and dc microgrid EMS.

Energy Storage Systems

As the penetration of variable renewable generation increases in power systems, issues such as grid stiffness, larger frequency deviations, and grid stability are becoming more relevant. In this context, Energy Storage Systems (ESSs) are proving to be effective in facilitating the integration of renewable resources, and thus are being widely deployed in both microgrids and large power grids. This talk will review several energy storage technologies, particularly Compress Air Energy Storage (CAES), flywheels, batteries, and thermal energy systems, and their modeling and applications for power systems. An overview will be provided of the work being carried out by Prof. Canizares’ group at the University of Waterloo on all these energy storage systems, focusing on novel models and applications in microgrids and distribution and transmission grids for system stability and control, in particular for frequency regulation.

The Energy Transition in Canada and Ontario

This talk will provide an overview of Canadian provincial and remote community power grids, and a detailed discussion of Ontario’s provincial grid, market, and future expansion plans, in the context of zero-emission power systems as the backbone of the energy transition. A critical overview of the decarbonization status and policies for energy systems in Canada will be also presented, focusing on zero-emission power grid, EV, and Hydrogen plans and strategies to enable a Net-Zero 2050, and concluding with a personal plea for a commitment to eliminating emissions in our daily energy use.