Assessment of hybrid energy systems for smart grids based on fuzzy decision-making

Constant concerns about the environment and climate change, combined with the expected shortage of fossil energy in the future, drive the small-scale energy generation sector. The equipment selection process for micro and mini generation in residential units is difficult because several factors must be considered, such as weather conditions or unit load profiling. Herein, a fuzzy decision-making method is proposed for the assessment of hybrid energy systems (HESs) for smart grids. Fuzzy logic is used for building energy blocks composed of alternative energy devices (e.g., wind turbines, solar panels, and solar collectors). The model tests the proposed blocks to evaluate this method and selects the best-performing one, considering the energy resources and the configuration for distributed energy according to the characteristics of consumer units. The results obtained represent, in a practical application, one of the initial stages of a distributed energy project, informing which equipment is most compatible with the load profile and the climatic conditions of the considered unit. This method helps to select such equipment for structuring energy modules, ensuring performance, and avoiding oversizing.