Optimal sizing of a renewable energy hybrid system in Libya using integrated crow and particle swarm algorithms

Sizing optimization should be used to design an efficient, sustainable, and feasible hybrid system. In this paper, a hybrid power plant consisting of an off-grid photovoltaic and wind energy system was planned to supply the demand of residential houses in Libya. To minimize installation and operational costs by sizing each part of the hybrid system, the crow search technique was applied. We optimized the number of photovoltaic modules, wind turbine power, and battery capacity and then we compared the performance of the crow algorithm with the particle swarm optimization algorithm for hybrid system design. The results of the crow algorithm suggest better efficiency for sizing lower-cost hybrid power plants consisting of photovoltaic and wind systems.