Hybrid stochastic and robust optimization of a hybrid system with fuel cell for building electrification using an...

Area of Science:

• Renewable Energy Systems
• Optimization Theory
• Sustainable Energy

Background:

• Educational buildings require reliable and cost-effective energy solutions.
• Integrating diverse renewable sources like photovoltaic (PV), tidal (TDL), and fuel cells (FC) presents optimization challenges.
• Uncertainty in energy demand and renewable generation necessitates robust system design.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose and evaluate a hybrid stochastic-robust optimization framework for sizing a PV/TDL/FC energy system.
• To minimize the cost of energy production over the project's lifespan (CEPLS) while ensuring reliability.
• To enhance system robustness against uncertainties in building energy demand and renewable resource generation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized a hybrid unscented transformation (UT) and information gap decision theory-based risk-averse strategy (IGDT-RA) framework (UT-IGDT-RA).
• Employed an improved arithmetic optimization algorithm (IAOA) with a neighborhood search operator for component sizing and uncertainty analysis.
• Incorporated a deterministic model focusing on CEPLS and demand shortage probability (DSHP), alongside a robust framework considering maximum uncertainty radius (MRU).

Main Results:

• The PV/TDL/FC configuration yielded the lowest CEPLS and highest reliability (lowest DSHP) compared to PV/FC and TDL/FC systems.
• The robust framework indicated that for a 21% uncertainty budget, the PV/TDL/FC system achieved higher MRUs for demand (10.34%) and generation (2.65%), signifying greater robustness.
• The hybrid UT-IGDT-RA approach provided a wider array of robust solutions, improving decision-making precision and flexibility.

Conclusions:

• The hybrid PV/TDL/FC system is a cost-effective and reliable solution for educational building energy demands.
• The proposed UT-IGDT-RA framework effectively enhances system robustness and decision-making under uncertainty.
• Increased reliability necessitates higher CEPLS, particularly due to hydrogen storage costs, highlighting a key trade-off.