An Open-Source Simulation Engine for LV Microgrids and Electric Vehicles Power Analysis

In recent times, the spread of Electric Vehicles, distributed renewable generation, and programmable loads in power systems is radically changing the modeling and simulation engines of electric systems. Microgrids emerged as a promising solution to increase efficiency, reliability, and resilience. Due to the number of components and their heterogeneous behavior, the implementation of control logics has become increasingly complex. Simulations play a fundamental role in testing complex objective functions without the need for the implementation in real components, that can result in a long and complex process. Existing simulation platforms, while effective in many contexts, often present a steep learning curve, high computational requirements, and limited flexibility. To address this limitation, an innovative Python-based framework has been developed, including ready to use classes to model the behavior of electrical components as well as a full simulation engine for the automatic management of all simulation parameters and the selected temporal resolution. The proposed tool thus provides researchers and practitioners with a scalable, flexible and easy-To-use platform to test control logics and to analyze the behavior of microgrids under realistic conditions.