Optimal integration of renewable energy sources, diesel generators, and demand response program from pollution, financial, and reliability viewpoints: A multi-objective approach

In electric power systems, operators should account for the optimal operation of generation units to accommodate an efficient system with cleaner productions. In this paper, annual simultaneous planning and scheduling of generation resources are considered to determine the optimal capacity and type of the generation resources for microgrids (MGs). In the proposed approach, renewable energy sources (RESs), including wind turbines (WT) and photovoltaic systems (PVs), are incorporated in addition to diesel generators in each bus of the MG. The power loss of the MG is calculated by applying the Kron's loss formula. Three different categories of loads are considered. The impact of consumer's role on the performance of the demand response program (DRP) is also analyzed. Because of the stochastic nature of RESs, which influences the reliability, the impact of DRP on the energy not supplied (ENS) is studied. The proposed multi-objective model includes several conflicting objective functions including ENS, pollution, DRP, and operational costs. This model is solved by the 8-constraints method and optimized employing the exchange market algorithm (EMA). Simulation results highlight the impact of the generation resources' types on the cost of operation, pollution, reliability, and power loss in the MG. The proposed approach will result in a system with cleaner production and improved financial condition. Published by Elsevier Ltd.