Microgrid optimal sizing integrating usage-dependent components lifetime into a MILP

Microgrids (MGs) sizing must be optimized to meet power demands while minimizing costs. The lifetime of the various MG components is variable and depends on their usage, affecting the overall cost. However, most studies that use MILP for MG design assume fixed lifetimes. A few account for variable lifetimes by adding ad hoc usage penalties to the cost function.. This paper proposes a MILP cost model for optimal MG sizing, which considers the impact of usage on component lifetime, while using the real LCOE as the optimization cost function. It also integrates operational constraints. We compare our approach with other approaches in the literature by applying it to an islanded MG. The results show that the proposed method achieved lower costs.