Optimal energy management and capacity planning of renewable integrated rural microgrid

The hybrid power generation system uses renewable resources to avoid the issues of using traditional energy systems. This study investigates an integrated hybrid energy system with storage for the electrification of rural Indian areas. Several configurations are analyzed for techno-economic viability, and the optimal one is chosen. The hybrid system fulfills the energy demand of the rural community. The suggested system formed by integration consists of photovoltaics, wind turbines, diesel generators, and storage. The proposed approach employs a gray wolf optimization algorithm to simulate microgrid models to calculate the exact cost of energy. According to the findings, the optimal and most economical electrification system includes a 5.9 kW photovoltaic, 7 battery banks, a 1 kW wind generator, and 3-kW diesel generator units. The optimized system's total net present cost is $5874.34, with a LCOE of $0.305 per kWh. The results revealed that the optimum system reduced CO₂ emissions when maximum renewable energy is employed in the modelling. Sensitivity analysis is employed to determine how the parameter's influence on energy prices has changed over time.