Optimizing energy management in microgrids with ant colony optimization: Enhancing reliability and cost efficiency for sustainable energy systems

This paper investigates the application of ant colony optimization (ACO) for energy management in microgrids, incorporating distributed generation resources such as solar panels, fuel cells, wind turbines, battery storage, and microturbine. The study evaluates energy management in two scenarios, with the first utilizing all available resources and the second applying specific operational constraints to wind turbines and solar panels. Results demonstrate that ACO effectively reduces operational costs and enhances system reliability, contributing to sustainable energy management practices. Additionally, the study compares ACO with the imperialist competitive algorithm, highlighting ACO's superior performance in cost reduction and efficiency improvements. This research advances energy system optimization and supports the development of sustainable solutions in microgrids. © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Oxford University Press.