A community microgrid is a local energy network supported by DERs, including renewable energy sources, energy storage systems, electric vehicles, and flexible loads, which acts as a single controllable entity. It interfaces with its surrounding distribution grid through multiple points of common coupling, and encompasses multiple coordinated DERs. DERs within a community microgrid are shared among multiple users. A community microgrid leverages the available resources at multiple neighboring facilitates and buildings (e.g., available space), to make microgrids more technically and economically feasible. Community microgrids substantially increase the overall grid resilience, since they can provide grid functions (e.g., load flexibility) during normal operation, and can island themselves during blackouts. The scale of a community microgrid may extend from a partial feeder community microgrid, to a feeder microgrid, to an area substation or multiple area substations community microgrid. The most recent IEEE 1547 DER interconnection standard requires DERs to have communications capabilities and DER grid support functions. Community microgrids will inevitably introduce information exchange between DERs, and the utility or a DER integrator. Many different independent communication technologies and interface standards (e.g., PLC, WiFi, and ZigBee) are likely to be used. As more multiple vendors’ communications devices are introduced, ensuring interoperability among these devices via standardized communications protocols and other interface standards will be critical. In addition, since cyber security of DER information exchange has not historically received much attention, new cyber vulnerabilities will be introduced. This Special Issue invites original research papers to address the design and dimensioning, control, operation, modeling and optimization of community microgrids. Moreover, the authors are encouraged to submit papers addressing the state-of-the-art and recent advancements in the areas, providing useful guidelines for future research directions. Potential topics include, but are not limited to: Design and dimensioning of community microgrids; Control techniques and architectures for community microgrids; Operation and energy management of community microgrids; Information and communication technologies for community microgrids (technical communication requirements, interoperability, etc.); Cybersecurity for community microgrids; Operational technologies for community microgrids; Applications of artificial intelligence in community microgrids; Coordination of networked community microgrids; Role of electric vehicles in community microgrids; Case studies and demonstrations.
Keywords: Community microgrids; DERs; Electric vehicles; Renewable energy; Resilience; Smart grid; Sustainability.