Impact of Thermal Energy Storage on Optimal Sizing of a Grid Connected Wind-Photovoltaic-Battery System for an Industry Edged Community

New Zealand is committed to decarbonize its energy sector by 2050, and from the perspectives of greenhouse gas emissions, and efficiency in generation, transmission and distribution, electricity is the energy source of choice. To meet the significant increasing demand for electricity, solar photovoltaic and wind turbine generators have the potential to offer cost-effective and environmentally friendly solutions. Solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind turbine generator (WTG) have the potential to offer a cost-effective and environmentally friendly solution. Energy storage systems (ESS) such as battery (BT), capacitor (CAP), pumped-hydro energy storage (PHES) and thermal energy storage (TES) are commonly integrated with these renewable energy sources (RESs) to overcome their intermittency and non-dispatchability. An optimal combination of renewable energy sources (RESs), ESSs, their operation and control along with load flexibility can enhance the cost-effectiveness and reliability of a system. The impact of on-site TES on total system cost and excess energy generation of a grid connected PV-WTG-ESS system for different renewable fraction (RF) is investigated. The electrical demand of a meat-factory and its edged community is considered in optimal sizing of the system. The demand of a meat-factory is mainly composed of its thermal load, electrical load and the charging of electric freights transports, whereas the community load used here comprises the household appliances of 3000 houses and their belonging electric vehicles. Half of both the EVs and freight transport are charged at night and the rest are charged during the day. The optimal sizing of different elements for given renewable fractions (RF) is performed using a Genetic Algorithm (GA). The result suggests that integration of TES provides enhanced flexibility to RESs and thus reduces the generation of excess energy and total cost of a HRES significantly. The sharing of on-site generation from RESs in a meat factory to its edged residential community improves cost-effectiveness and enhances the reliability of a HRES.