Minimizing losses and maximizing efficiency in wind power systems: advanced optimization approaches

Intermittent wind resources and dual-mode operational demands pose challenges which are persistent in nature for distributed wind energy systems, which conventional dynamic methods are unable to address efficiently. This study examines step by step two 24 kW wind generation systems operating under both grid-connected and islanded mode conditions using the Improved Whale Optimization Algorithm (IWHO) with dataset obtained from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, where hourly, daily, monthly, and annual timescales are used to evaluate the system. The output of IWHO exceeds 123,000 kW, which is close to the Conceptual Method, while the Dynamic Method produces approximately 120,000 kW, and daily peak output exceeded 350 kW where tracking performance was better mainly in grid-connected mode. According to the Levelized Cost of Energy based economic assessment, the higher energy output of IWHO reduced annual generation costs by INR 40,210 with respect to the Dynamic Method, saving INR 39,538 against the annual benchmark where both systems share the same Capital Expenditure of INR 140,000/kW and Operational Expenditure fixed at 2.5% of capital cost. Hence the results obtained indicate that IWHO is a useful optimization technique for improving efficiency, lowering conversion losses, and allowing smooth management of power in microgrid and distributed wind applications.