ABSTRACT
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This chapter summarizes some of the methods used to control distributed generation (DG) at the local building or campus level. This problem is important because the control mode can make the difference between a profitable
DG installation and one that is not profitable, all else being equal. Distributed power offers many different services. For example, combustion-based DG can provide significant amounts of heat to a building’s space and water heating loads if cogeneration is used. When coupled with absorption cooling, the available heat can also be used to supplement the building’s conventional cooling system (Kreider and Curtiss, 2000). The trade-off, of course, is that the cost of gas consumption increases while the cost of grid electricity decreases. The optimum control of such systems is the subject of this chapter. Optimal control maximizes the financial return on DG system investment.
