Design tool for isolated micro-grids based on methods of computational intelligence

For the electrical supply of solitary remotely located objects - such as telecommunication relay stations, alpine huts, or farms and small settlements in developing countries -autonomously operated micro-grids are established, favorably based on renewable energy sources. The appropriate configuration of such micro-grids - in particular with respect to eligible energy sources and storages - is a demanding task which affords a high degree of freedom but, on the other hand, has to account for various operational dependencies and restrictions of system components, as well as for conduct of load and generation. Therefore, a tool was developed supporting adequate and systematic plant design and operation, involving various methods of computational intelligence. Besides delineating the properties of this tool, results of applying it to a practical example are presented.