Optimal Operation of Microgrid with freshwater, thermal and electric demand

Considering ever-increasing utilization of renewable resources for generating energy, combined heat, and electricity generation in modern distribution networks and microgrids (MG) has attracted attention significantly. In this paper, a new approach is proposed for optimal energy management in MG. In fact, the literature of this context lacks a practical analysis for energy management in MGs such that network structure, power flow equations, the voltage of buses, and other practical constraints are considered. Thus, this paper presents a practical approach based on Optimal Power Flow (OPF) using ICA for optimal energy management in MG to minimize exploitation cost. It should be mentioned that the configuration of the standard IEEE-33 bus test network along with different energy tariffs and the possibility of energy exchange with the upstream network is considered in this study. In addition to thermal and electric demand, freshwater demand is also considered in this study, which should be provided by desalination of the MG. Simulation results demonstrate the efficiency and accuracy of the proposed method under different conditions.