Optimization and management of solar and wind production for standalone microgrid: a Moroccan case study

Abstract

The increasing demand for sustainable and efficient energy solutions has prompted extensive research into optimizing renewable energy sources in microgrid systems. This paper focuses on optimizing renewable energy sources within a standalone microgrid using particle swarm optimization (PSO) as the sole algorithm. The microgrid model proposed integrates photovoltaic (PV), wind, battery storage, and serves a load represented by an agricultural firm. Real-world data from Agdz in Ouarzazate, Morocco, is utilized for analysis. The primary objective is to minimize excess production from PV and wind sources when the battery reaches full charge. This research addresses the increasing demand for sustainable energy solutions by emphasizing a single optimization technique, PSO, for achieving a balanced and efficient energy generation system. The study aims to closely align energy production with load demand to reduce wastage and ensure a reliable energy supply within the microgrid. The evaluation is conducted based on the ability of the PSO algorithm to diminish the gap between total energy production and load demand. The use of the PSO algorithm resulted in a 30% reduction in excess energy, effectively mitigating unnecessary energy wastage when the battery is fully charged. This outcome highlights the algorithm's capacity to adapt and optimize energy production from primary sources to precisely align with the specific requirements of the load.