Data Envelopment Analysis for Improving the Microgrid Operations

Microgrid configurations provide a reliable and sustainable energy supply to off-grid settlements. Various energy sources, including renewable and non-renewables, are currently used to power the microgrids. Scheduling these energy resources and managing the microgrids can be challenging due to various constraints. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is one of the well-known solution methodologies that can be effectively used for energy management studies. This chapter applies a multi-objective DEA to the energy management of a typical rural, remote micro-grid supplied by a solar plant and diesel generator sets. The methodology utilizes the DEA algorithm to identify microgrid optimal configurations by considering technical, environmental, and economic factors. The Tsumkwe rural region of Namibia is considered for studying the DEA application and analysis. The study evaluated the energy system's performance under varying efficiencies, fuel consumptions, and generator capacities.