Recent trends and developments in protection systems for microgrids incorporating distributed generation

Abstract Microgrids are integral to power grids; they enhance grid reliability by integrating distributed generators (DGs) to fulfill the local load requirements, lowering energy generation costs, and providing eco‐friendly energy resources to reduce carbon emissions. Despite their benefits, new capabilities also introduce protection‐related complexities, including bidirectional power flow, varying fault currents, false tripping, relay reach limitations, coordination issues, and the requirement for proper grounding. This article offers a detailed review of protection issues in AC, DC, and hybrid AC–DC microgrids, investigating existing approaches to address these issues. Furthermore, the constraints and hurdles associated with these approaches and the future trends and intelligent approaches required to develop a reliable and efficient protection strategy are also identified in this article. This article is categorized under: Energy and Power Systems > Microgrids Energy and Power Systems > Distributed Generation