Renewable energy-aware sustainable and cost-effective microgrid configuration in active distribution network

A combination of renewable and traditional sources ensures stability, cost-efficiency, and effective energy use in microgrid distribution systems. This work examines eight grid-connected microgrid configurations to determine the most cost-effective energy source combination. The proposed configuration combines photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, a fuel cell, and a battery storage system. This combination reduces grid dependence and minimizes greenhouse gas emissions. The multi-objective optimization problem is solved using Grey Wolf Optimization while considering both equality and inequality constraints. The total economic cost is $683.71, including battery degradation. Greenhouse gas emission costs and total costs are reduced by 81.92% and 47.06%, respectively, compared to the base case. In addition, the Social Welfare Cost and the Maximum Rate of Return on Investment cost are $47.063 and 315.75%. The results demonstrate that the microgrid is cost-effective and profitable, which supports its economic sustainability. This microgrid configuration is validated using the IEEE-33 and IEEE-69 bus test systems. The validation results indicate that power losses reduce by 5.3% and daily operational costs decrease from $1,948.17 to $1,233.09. This work promotes the UN SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and the Paris Agreement's goal of net-zero emissions by 2050. This study helps facilitate the transition to sustainable energy and addresses climate change.