Optimized sizing of hybrid renewable energy systems for sustainable buildings with seasonal grey water treatment

Abstract

This study introduces an innovative approach to the optimized sizing of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) for sustainable households. The system integrates photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, and backup batteries to achieve near-zero loss of load probability (LLP) while concurrently addressing energy and storage requirements for grey water treatment through electrocoagulation. Unlike conventional sizing methodologies that focus solely on energy generation and storage, the proposed dual-purpose optimization aligns the surplus electricity generation from correctly sized renewable sources with the energy requirements for grey water treatment, ensuring that the treatment process operates only when excess power is available. This unified optimization approach eliminates the need for additional energy infrastructure for wastewater treatment. The tank volume for the collected grey water is optimized to prevent overflow during the spring, summer, and fall seasons to ensure complete grey water is treatment that can be safely used for irrigation and flushing. Extensive simulations, validated against empirical data from Eskişehir, Turkey, demonstrate that the proposed system effectively balances energy generation and treatment demands, ensuring minimal infrastructure costs and reliable operation throughout seasonal variations while integrating the two separate sustainability goals.