An integrated optimization framework for regional energy planning with a sustainability assessment model

Abstract

Regional energy planning plays a vital role in its sustainable development, in which integrating renewable energy sources with fossil fuels can efficiently reduce fuel consumption and mitigate environmental pollution. However, the plan involves multi-dimensional uncertain factors and requires comprehensive optimization methods. This paper proposes a regionally integrated energy system (IES) optimization framework coupled with a sustainability assessment model. The four pillars of sustainability, considering technology, economy, environment, and society, are proposed to evaluate the sustainable performance of IES. Integrated the sustainability model of four pillars involving 11 indicators into the IES optimization, the optimal configurations and capacities of IES plants are obtained in an industrial park case. The combination of specialist questionnaires and numerical data of IES schemes demonstrates their weights of four pillars as 0.247, 0.227, 0.304, and 0.222, respectively. The optimal IES configurations under different solar installation area ratios are obtained, and their influences on energy planning are discussed. The solar heat collector is recommended to achieve the largest composite sustainability index, 0.458, when 20 % of the area is allowed for installation. The increasing capacity of photovoltaic panels with the increasing solar ratio is integrated into the IES to promote its sustainability. When the solar ratio reaches 80 %, the composite sustainability index is up to 0.634.