Multi-objective optimization of hybrid microgrid for energy trilemma goals using slime mould algorithm

This study presents a multi-objective optimization of a hybrid microgrid (HMG) targeting the energy trilemma goals-energy security, affordability, and sustainability-using the Slime Mould Algorithm (SMA). The proposed HMG integrates renewable energy sources, diesel generators, and electric vehicle (EV) batteries as distributed energy resources (DERs) with bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) capabilities. Compared to conventional metaheuristic such as Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) and Genetic Algorithm (GA), the SMA achieves a power loss reduction of 12.3% and a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) improvement of 9.8%. The loss of power supply probability (LPSP) is reduced to 0.012, outperforming benchmark results from HOMER and Salp Swarm Algorithm (SSA), which reported LPSP values of 0.021 and 0.017, respectively. The superior performance of SMA is attributed to its dynamic balance between exploration and exploitation, leading to faster convergence and enhanced computational efficiency. The novel integration of EV batteries as DERs, with explicit modeling of bidirectional V2G operations, distinguishes this work from previous studies that considered only unidirectional or static EV participation. While the proposed approach demonstrates significant improvements, scalability to larger microgrid networks and the computational demands of SMA in real-time applications remain challenges for future research.