Microgrids (MGs) have gained significant attention over the past two decades due to their advantages in service reliability, easy integration of renewable energy sources, high efficiency, and enhanced power quality. In India, low-voltage side customers face significant challenges in terms of power supply continuity and voltage regulation. This paper presents a novel approach for optimal power scheduling in a microgrid, aiming to provide uninterrupted power supply with improved voltage regulation (VR). To address these challenges, a crow search algorithm is developed for effective load scheduling within the distribution system. The proposed method minimizes the total operating cost (TOC) and maximizes VR under varying loading conditions and distributed generation (DG) configurations. A case study in Tamil Nadu, India, is conducted using a microgrid composed of three distributed generation sources (DGs), modeled and simulated using the Electrical Transient Analyzer Program (ETAP) environment. The proposed approach is tested under three operational scenarios: grid-connected mode, islanded mode, and grid-connected mode with one DG outage. Results indicate that the crow search algorithm significantly optimizes load scheduling, leading to a substantial reduction in power loss and enhancement in voltage profiles across all scenarios. The islanded mode operation using the crow search algorithm demonstrates a remarkable reduction in TOC and maximizes voltage regulation compared to other modes. The main contributions of this work include: (1) developing a new meta-heuristic approach for power scheduling in microgrids using the crow search algorithm, (2) achieving optimal power flow and load scheduling to minimize TOC and improve VR, and (3) successfully implementing the proposed methodology in a real-time distribution system using ETAP. The findings showcase the effectiveness of the crow search algorithm in microgrid power management and its potential for application in other real-time power distribution systems.

Center for Information Analytical and Technical Support of Nuclear Power Facilities Monitoring National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Akademika Palladina Avenue 34 A Kyiv Ukraine

College of Engineering University of Business and Technology 21448 Jeddah Saudi Arabia

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering Grace College of Engineering Thoothukudi 628005 Tamil Nadu India

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering SRM Institute of Science and Technology Kattankulathur Chennai 603203 India

Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering University College of Engineering BIT Campus Anna University Tiruchirappalli 620024 Tamilnadu India

Department of Electrical Engineering Graphic Era Dehradun 248002 India

Department of Theoretical Electrical Engineering and Diagnostics of Electrical Equipment Institute of Electrodynamics National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Beresteyskiy 56 Kyiv 57 03680 Ukraine

Hourani Center for Applied Scientific Research Al Ahliyya Amman University Amman Jordan

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