Abstract
High penetration of distributed generation in distribution networks makes the islanding operation more realistic. Because of environmental concerns and increasing fuel prices, the use of renewable energies, particularly wind energy, is becoming a popular choice. In this article, a new algorithm using the Monte Carlo technique and adaptive load shedding for assessing the reliability of wind–diesel systems in the islanding mode of operation is proposed. Weibull distribution and maximum likelihood estimation have been implemented to simulate the wind speed. Then, the islanding indices are introduced, and the reliability indices, when islanding operation is allowed and not allowed, are compared. Finally, a sensitivity analysis is performed to investigate the effects of wind and diesel capacity and the maximum wind to load penetration on the reliability and economic indices.