Comparison of Optimization Methods for Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems

This paper shows the results obtained from the evaluation of two methods for the optimization of a Hybrid Renewable Energy System (HRES). The first consists of an algorithm developed in MATLAB. The second is a model developed in the HOMER tool. The potential of a renewable resources, the energy demand of the load and the costs of the components, are introduced for both methods. As a case study, it was considered an aquafarm located in the municipality of Alvarado, Veracruz, Mexico. The optimal system obtained with the MATLAB algorithm consists of a combination of a diesel generator, 64 batteries and a 32 kW photovoltaic (PV) array. On the other hand, the optimal system found with HOMER consists of a combination of a diesel generator, 64 batteries, a 3.5 kW wind turbine and a 32 kW PV array, like that obtained with the algorithm.