This paper describes the characteristics and optimal methods for the planning of stand-alone microgrid system, in order to improve the power supply reliability, increase the coefficient of utilization of renewable energy and reduce the cost of investment and operation. Next, the problems in the optimal planning for a stand-alone microgrid system are summarized, including the unique operational control targets, the flexible combination approaches and the operation strategies of distributed generation energy supply system, and the special requirements of the reliability of power supply quality factor from the different users. And then, centering on the operational control and the advanced energy management strategy, the optimal mathematical models and the solving methods, the reliability assessment approaches and the improvement measures of a stand-alone microgrid system, an overview of the general situation of the recent research at home and abroad and the limitations of the study are summarized. Finally, several problems, existing in the optimal planning of stand-alone microgrid system, to be urgently solved, are put forward.