Optimal sizing of a microgrid including renewable energy sourcesOptimal sizing of a microgrid including renewable energy sourcesΜελέτη βέλτιστου σχεδιασμού του μεγέθους μικρού ηλεκτρικού δικτύου που περιλαμβάνει ανανεώσιμες πηγές ενέργειας Διπλωματική Εργασία Diploma Work 2018-07-162018enIn recent years, an increasing energy demand from a continuously growing population, combined with the advancement of greenhouse gasses (GHG) emissions and the depletion of fossil fuels have motivated the introduction of renewable energy systems (RESs) in a variety of disciplines and scales. As a consequence, the energy sector is facing a transition from a centralized network, composed of large and controllable power plants, to a decentralized grid, based on RESs. Within this framework, microgrids (MGs) provide a key solution to integrate each element of the grid, regardless of their operation status, either in a grid-connected or in an islanded mode. This study combines different RESs in order to create a functional power system which is able to cover the load of an autonomous small island, without the use of conventional energy sources. In more detail, the proposed model consists of photovoltaic (PV) panels and hydro turbines, a battery energy storage system (BESS) and a load. The main objective of this thesis is to present the optimal size of each component through an optimization software (HOMER). Moreover, in order to facilitate the ability to adjust generation of load demand overtime, the simulation of four load prediction scenarios for the next five, ten and twenty five years is exercised with the HOMER software, while providing the optimal sizing of the PV subsystem and BESS in all cases (and generators in two scenarios), in regard to the simultaneous financial and energy load coverage optimization. The simulations conducted in the present study support our initial hypothesis, indicating that a small network can be electrically efficient and autonomous, without the need of the main grid to support it or the use of conventional energy sources, deemed as harmful as they could be to the environment, depending on the increase of the load demand.http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Πολυτεχνείο Κρήτης::Σχολή Ηλεκτρολόγων Μηχανικών και Μηχανικών ΥπολογιστώνVerigou_Sofia_Dip_2018.pdfChania [Greece]Library of TUC2018-07-16application/pdf3.8 MBfree Verigou Sofia Βεριγου Σοφια Stavrakakis Georgios Σταυρακακης Γεωργιος Kalaitzakis Konstantinos Καλαϊτζακης Κωνσταντινος Sergaki Eleftheria Σεργακη Ελευθερια Sergaki Eleftheria Σεργακη Ελευθερια Πολυτεχνείο Κρήτης Technical University of Crete Microgrid Renewable energy sources ΑΠΕ Ανανεώσιμες πηγές ενέργειας RES