Application of Microgrids to Improve Resilience with a Focus on Healthcare

Abstract

In this work, we will address the benefits of installing microgrids in order to improve energy resilience, mainly in critical and essential facilities, and more specifically in the healthcare sector. The use of renewable energy sources and sustainable models in the use of these, will be the central pillar by which this study will be governed. To show the benefits that can be generated by this type of microgrids, which can be many and diverse, mainly to reduce supply and maintenance costs and increase energy independence. This type of system works both in operation and in power outages or in times of energy shortages of any kind for this we will use several calculation tools mainly REopt® which contains simulations that allow us to show in an intuitive and graphical way the different cases that we will develop in the study recreating the cases to evaluate the behavior of the system. As it was said at the beginning of this introduction, we will try to guarantee in all the assumptions the continuity in the supply of the critical loads to which a hospital site such as the one of this study is subjected, prioritizing the surgical procedures, the conservation of drugs and for example the refrigeration of organs for transplantation or heating in the winter months. To ensure these and other services that will be detailed later, the microgrid designed for this purpose is composed of a storage station consisting of a set of lithium-ion batteries, a set of diesel generators (own of the site), a photovoltaic generation plant and a wind turbine. With each of the elements contained in the proposed microgrid we would improve the energy resilience but the full potential offered by this system is shown in all its splendor when combined this will be expanded and a deeper study will be conducted in the following points of this study.