Optimal sizing of an industrial microgrid considering socio-organisational aspects

An industrial microgrid can be an effective way to introduce a high percentage of renewable power in the electrical energy supply of an industrial park. An optimal sizing process can be employed in the design phase of such a newly developed hybrid power system to assure the power system's technical and economic efficiency. While optimal sizing algorithms have been developed for different types of hybrid power systems, these often treat stand-alone systems and do not consider the socio-organisational drivers for inter-firm energy supply facilities. Here, a techno-economic optimisation is carried out using a genetic algorithm to determine the optimal system configuration of a grid-connected power system. The current development of the project Eiland Zwijnaarde in Ghent provides the basis for a concrete case study. The main results suggest that the optimal configuration consists of a significant share of renewable sources. A cogeneration unit can compensate the renewables' intermittent behaviour and lower the thermal energy cost. Large-scale electrical storage is found not to be profitable under the used control structure. A gradual ingress of firms in the park and the subsequent sloped annual energy demand have a negative effect on the power system's fraction of shared facilities.