Smart energy systems: A critical review on design and operation optimization

Smart energy systems that integrate multiple energy sectors are considered a promising paradigm for providing a comprehensive and optimized solution for an achievable, affordable, and sustainable energy system in the near future. Although extensive studies on the definition, implementation and optimization of these systems have been conducted, the design and management of a smart energy system remains a critical challenge. This paper reviews the definition and composition of typical smart energy systems to provide a comprehensive and holistic understanding of smart energy systems. Design and operation optimization are addressed to achieve the synergies and complementary advantages of subsystems while maintaining the high performance of individual systems. Different objectives, models and algorithms for design optimization of a smart energy system are compared. Recent studies and applications of operation optimization for an entire system and individual subsystems are presented. The main challenges of the design optimization and operation optimization in the research and development of future smart energy systems are summarized.