Modelling and optimization of the smart hybrid renewable energy for communities (SHREC)

• A smart hybrid renewable energy for communities (SHREC) is proposed.
• SHREC considers the thermal and electricity market in the context of DH network.
• A more efficient modelling and optimization method for SHREC is developed.
• Day ahead level modeling and optimization is useful in the operation of SHREC.
• Renewable energy and energy storages are promoted to increase the efficiency.

The future energy system in community level should be more ‘smart’ to secure reliability, enhance market service, minimize environmental impact, reduce costs and improve the use of renewable energy source (RES). Therefore, this paper proposes an energy integration system – smart hybrid renewable energy for communities (SHREC). It considers both thermal (heating and cooling) and electricity market in a large community level and highlight the interactions between them through utilizing RES, combined heat and power (CHP) and energy storages. A planning model based on CHP modelling is developed for the SHREC system. A linear programming (LP) algorithm is developed to optimize the SHREC system in a weekly period and the results are compared with an existing energy optimization software. We also demonstrate the model in a sample SHREC system during three typical weeks with cold, warm and mid-season weather in the year 2011. The results indicate that the developed modelling and optimization method is more efficient and flexible for the smart hybrid renewable energy systems.