Optimum unit sizing of hybrid renewable energy system utilizing harmony search, Jaya and particle swarm optimization algorithms

Abstract Renewable energy technologies, which include wind turbines, biomass and photovoltaics, are extensively utilized in the generation of electricity in an island zones. Stand-a-lone systems that incorporate hybrid sources of renewable energy are employed and require different sizing of components to obtain optimum units to reduce fundamental challenges. In this paper, the Harmony Search (HS), Jaya and particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithms are utilized in sizing an optimum design of a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) containing a set of the Wind-Photovoltaic-Biomass-Battery technologies with a goal of cost-effectively, efficiently, and reliably meeting customers’ electricity demands. The outcomes of the three algorithms are compared, and the one with the most techno-economic optimum unit sizing of the HRES was determined. The hybrid system’s reliability and efficiency are calculated using two factors: the maximum allowable loss of power supply probability (LPSPmax) together with reduced allowable excess energy fraction (EFFmin). Different configurations consisting of solar PV, biomass generators, wind turbines, and batteries are modeled, simulated and optimized to obtain a system combination that is most energy efficient and cost effective in the studied zone. The study demonstrated that the ideal system with the least cost and the best performance was that which consists of thirteen solar PV systems (70.98 kW), four biomass systems (160 kW), one wind turbine (20 kW) and 15 NI-Fe battery banks (288 kW h), with a total system present cost of $581,218 and a 0.254 $/kWh cost of energy.