Optimal Scheduling of Wind-Photovoltaic- Pumped Storage Joint Complementary Power Generation System Based on Improved Firefly Algorithm

Complementary multi-energy power generation systems are a promising solution for multi-energy integration and an essential tool for diversifying renewable energy sources. Despite many studies on developing hybrid renewable energy systems, more research is still needed on applicable models or practical methods. Meta-heuristic algorithms such as the Firefly algorithm are becoming increasingly popular in optimizing hybrid renewable energy systems because they provide fast, accurate, and optimal solutions. Considering the natural complementarity and instability of wind and solar energy, the advantage of pumped storage power plants’ “peak adjustment and valley adjustment”, as well as the grid’s need for a stable and reliable energy supply, the objective of this study is to economically optimize the design of wind-PV pumped storage complementary generation system scheduling with a two-generation Firefly algorithm based on spatial adaptive and Levy’s flight improvement, in comparison with a variety of cutting-edge population intelligence optimization algorithms (GA, PAO, DE, WOA, FA) were compared and analyzed. The impact of pumped storage plants on economic and stabilization objectives is explored. The results show that several meta-heuristics are effective in finding the optimal design. However, the improved Firefly algorithm with an objective function value of 7.8331 is superior to several other algorithms by enhancing the wind and PV benefits while suppressing the output fluctuations of the system. After the construction of the additional pumped storage plant, the output fluctuation of the complementary operation system is only 9.7% of that of the wind power and PV in stand-alone operation after the multi-energy coordination and optimal scheduling. This demonstrates the effectiveness of the optimization method used in this paper. The results of this study can provide a reference for the complementary optimization of pumped storage power plants for intermittent renewable energy sources.