Multivariate optimization of off-grid wind turbines with variable demand - Case study of a remote commercial building

Generally, in optimization of wind turbines, the annual energy output is set as the objective function. However, as verified in this study, maximizing the annual energy does not necessarily guarantee the optimum design for off-grid wind turbines. In such cases, the demand profile can have a significant effect on design and performance of the rotor. In this study, an off-grid wind turbine is optimized while considering the demand profile. Blade element method, genetic algorithm, and EnergyPlus® are applied in a coupled scheme to obtain the optimum design. Results suggest that if minimizing the annual energy deficit or fuel consumption is set as the objective function, the obtained optimum design will be different to the case in which maximizing the annual wind generated energy is set as the target. Accordingly, in the investigated case of this study, the annual wind fraction increased up to 5% by applying the proposed objective function.