Optimizing size and operation of hybrid energy systems

This paper presents a new method to simultaneously optimize components´ size, set points of the control system and slope of PV panels of standalone hybrid energy systems (HESs) using the Passive Congregation PSO (PSOPC) approach. New control set points are defined for the HES, and a new operation strategy is presented based on the defined set points. The optimization algorithm determines the optimal values of the set points to efficiently optimize the HES operation. The effectiveness of the proposed control set points is finally verified through some numerical analyses. In this regard, the proposed optimization method is employed to optimize various HES configurations and compared with other methods using practical data of a remote area in Iran. Sensitivity analyses have been also conducted on the control set points and system uncertainties to investigate their impacts on the optimization results.