As microgrids gain traction as a mean to improve the grid resilience, power quality, safety, and integrate a greater share of renewable energy sources, hence a deeper understanding of conditions before, during, and after an island event is required in order to implement microgrids on a large scale. In this work, the challenges faced by utility microgrids are reviewed to fully understand the complex nature of these systems. With these challenges in mind, a microgrid system has been modeled and simulated using the CYME software. The simulation and experimental results confirm the need for balance within the islanded system and show how inverter control can reduce the dependence on fossil-fuel based generation.
