(437a) Optimal Design of Renewable Energy Systems with Flexible Inputs and Outputs By the P-Graph Framework

The P-graph (process-graph) methodology with a new mathematical model for the

operating units is used to optimize complex energy systems involving renewable energy sources.

World energy consumption has been on the rise worldwide. If the current trends continue, we may

face energy shortages in the future. Planning an efficient energy system for a small community or a

city district is a challenging task. Often, the applied models are too simple, there are implicit

assumptions and important constrains are disregarded. In other cases, the models are large and

computationally difficult to handle, thus, only small examples can be solved. This paper proposes the

application of the P-graph framework, introduced by Friedler et al, to design specific components of

energy production systems. The P-graph framework is enhanced with a new mathematical model for

the operating units to handle special constraints. A case study is presented to demonstrate the use of

the framework.