| Summary: | The rising demand for sustainable and stable energy solutions has intensified interest in hybrid microgrids that integrate renewable sources with storage systems. However, frequent connection and disconnection to the main grid during peak and off-peak hours often introduce voltage and frequency instabilities, threatening system reliability. This study proposes a grid-connected solar and hydrogen-battery microgrid, optimized using advanced dispatch strategies and power plant controllers to mitigate such instabilities. Three control methods—Constant Q, Voltage Iq-Droop, and Voltage Q-Droop—are implemented and comparatively analyzed for their effectiveness in stabilizing voltage, frequency, power factor, and active/reactive power. Additionally, two dispatch strategies, Load Following (LF) and Cycle Charging (CC), are evaluated under derivative-free optimization to ensure cost-effective and low-emission operation. Results show the Constant Q controller delivers superior system stability and power quality. The optimized system achieves a renewable energy fraction of 89.1%, sells 192,161 kWh/year to the grid, and operates at an exceptionally low cost of $0.0132/kWh. Furthermore, the system demonstrates a 73% internal rate of return, a simple payback period of 1.4 years, and minimal CO2 (18,647 kg/year) and SO2 (80.8 kg/year) emissions. These outcomes affirm the feasibility and scalability of the proposed hybrid system for clean and stable power generation.
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