Optimal size of renewable hybrid system applying nature-inspired algorithms

In isolated areas, access to energy is one of the most difficult challenges, especially with the increasing demand of electricity day after day. Therefore, the renewable energy is the best solution to provide the needed demand. This article presents a comparative study of three hybrid energy systems (photovoltaic system, wind system and photovoltaic/wind system) using lead-acid batteries as storage device. The methodology used in the optimization problem and sizing is described by two Meta heuristic methods, accelerated particle swarm optimization and cuckoo search, using the unit energy cost as an objective function and the loss of power supply probability as a principal constraint. This study is carried out with an analysis of the meteorological data over a period of one year. The proposed methods are applied to thirty of individual habitats located on the site of the El Kala in Algeria and the results are discussed.