Supplying the load by the optimization of a stand-alone hybrid power system using firefly algorithm considering reliability indices

Optimal design of the hybrid power system (HPS) comprising wind turbines, solar arrays and battery storage is proposed in this paper. The main purpose is to develop an effective method for optimizing the size of HPSs considering reliability indices and power balance constraint. A new metaheuristic nature-inspired algorithm, called firefly algorithm (FA) is utilized to achieve these objectives. The results are compared with those obtained by alternative techniques proposed in the literature in order to show that the proposed algorithm is capable of yielding better optimal solutions. The simulation results show that the FA optimization method achieves better results than the alternative optimization methods.