Renewable energy production management with a new harmony search optimization toolkit

Abstract

The design goals of the developed software are described followed by its architecture, which is presented in detail. The GUI-based interface supports a variety of environmental management problems and can provide best practices in a timely manner. The toolkit is generic and applicable to any scientific field. It was applied on a renewable energy (RE) system’s management. The developed model simulates the hydraulic characteristics of a small-scale hydropower (SHP) station. Harmony search algorithm (HSA) toolkit optimized the SHP’s operation, without violating the ecological constraints related to environmental flow (EF) regimes. This was equal to maximizing the revenues from SHP’s energy production in terms of a hypothetical fluctuating market. Apart from securing the provision of EF regimes, HSA toolkit’s outcome provided management practices that increased the total economic gains. Supporting the economic viability of SHPs and their environmental friendliness is needed to strengthen their role in the RE mix.