Optimising a solar-based microgrid system for urban areas: a case study in Edmonton

Abstract

Nowadays, the transition from fossil fuels to renewables and solving renewable energy challenges such as their oscillating nature has become necessary. Here, the building energy model of a residential area in Edmonton, Canada, is formulated using computer tools to provide this area's required power through solar energy optimally. The meta-heuristic approach is utilised to address and optimise the proposed system performance. The results of modelling and optimising system performance for two scenarios (free and prohibited sale of generated electricity to the power grid) are reported. The most striking result is that the PV panel capacity is 756 kW, but the total area required to install these panels was 4458 m2. The total electricity produced by photovoltaics on a summer day in the base scenario was 685 kWh, and the total energy purchased from the grid was 995 kWh. These values for the winter day were 212 and 1496 kWh, respectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Energy management system
• Building energy modelling
• Solar energy
• PSO algorithm
• Optimisation

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).