Design and optimization of isolated energy systems through pinch analysis

Isolated energy systems seem to be a promising option for electrifying remote locations where grid extension is not feasible or economical. Integration of battery bank as means of energy storage with different renewable energy systems can enhance the system reliability and its overall performance. Therefore, appropriate choices of generator sizes and the battery bank capacity are critical to the success of such renewable-based isolated power systems. In this article, the tools of pinch analysis are extended to design isolated renewable energy systems. The importance of setting targets before design is highlighted for designing renewable-based isolated energy systems. The system sizing through the grand composite curve (GCC) representation of stored energy is proposed in this article. The set of all feasible solutions, defined as the design space for the system, is graphically represented for in-depth visualization. The relation between the design space approach for designing and optimizing an isolated energy system and the principles of pinch analysis have been established in this article. The GCC representation also provides opportunity to the system designer for strategic load growth without affecting the system size. (C) 2011 Curtin University of Technology and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.