A hybrid renewable energy system for Hassi Messaoud region of Algeria: Modeling and optimal sizing

Abstract

The growing global energy demand and the need to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions have driven the exploration of sustainable and efficient energy solutions. In Algeria, where the energy sector relies heavily on fossil fuels, integrating renewable energy systems is essential for enhancing energy security and reducing environmental impacts. This study focuses on optimizing a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) for off-grid applications in the Hassi Messaoud region of Algeria to balance technical performance, economic viability, and environmental sustainability. A hybrid system consisting of photovoltaic (PV) panels, wind turbines (WTs), fuel cells (FCs), and diesel generators (DGs) was modeled and optimized using a genetic algorithm (GA). The optimization process aims to minimize the annual cost of the system while ensuring high reliability, as measured by the loss of power supply probability, and maximizing the use of renewable energy. A particle swarm optimization (PSO) approach was also implemented for comparison, highlighting the advantages of the GA in terms of cost distribution and system reliability. The optimized HRES demonstrated that renewable sources (PV and WT) provided 77% of the total energy demand, with an overall system cost of 0.18080 $\$·{\mathrm{kWh}}^{-1}$, significantly lower than recent studies, which reported costs between 0.213 and 0.609 $\$·{\mathrm{kWh}}^{-1}$. FCs contributed 14% to the load, whereas DGs were limited to 8% to minimize emissions, resulting in annual CO₂ emissions of 10,865 kg and a relative emission rate of 3.608 ${\text{gCO}}_2\text{eq}·{\text{kWh}}^{-1}$. Economic analysis showed that DGs and FCs accounted for 44% and 24% of the annual cost, respectively, highlighting the impact of backup systems in ensuring reliability. Sensitivity analysis under varying load demands and renewable energy availability confirmed the robustness of the system, and the GA approach was found to be more effective than PSO in maintaining cost efficiency and reliability. Additionally, the social analysis highlighted a renewable fraction of 91.5%, emphasizing the contribution of the system to sustainable energy practices. These findings validate GA-based optimization as a superior method for designing cost-effective, reliable, and environmentally sustainable HRES, offering significant potential to reduce fossil fuel dependency in industrial applications. These results not only support the broader adoption of renewable energy systems in similar regions but also contribute valuable insights for future research and policy development in the field of energy sustainability.