Abstract
Hybrid microgrids combining photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), diesel generator (DG), and battery energy storage systems (BESS) provide a practical pathway for delivering reliable and low-carbon energy to isolated regions. However, their optimal sizing and dispatch planning constitute a challenging multi-objective problem due to renewable intermittency, battery degradation, and competing economic–environmental trade-offs. This paper proposes a novel Arctic Puffin Optimization (APO)-based framework for the techno-economic planning of standalone hybrid microgrids. The model simultaneously minimizes the Annual System Cost (ASC), carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions, and Loss of Power Supply Probability (LPSP) through integrated component sizing, dispatch optimization, and adaptive constraint handling. Two real-world case studies from Ras Ghareb, Egypt, using hourly solar, wind, and load profiles validate the proposed approach. Comparative results demonstrate that APO consistently outperforms Grey Wolf Optimizer (GWO), Ant Lion Optimizer (ALO), and Starfish Optimization Algorithm (SFOA), achieving up to 8% lower ASC, 17% higher renewable penetration, and zero LPSP while maintaining stable convergence behavior. Sensitivity analyses across varying load demands, wind speeds, irradiance levels, and generator constraints confirm the robustness of the optimized configurations. By directly incorporating emission costs and battery degradation into the objective function, the framework ensures realistic, economically viable, and environmentally responsible system design suitable for off-grid hybrid energy applications.
Data availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed during the current study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.
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Funding
Open access funding provided by The Science, Technology & Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) in cooperation with The Egyptian Knowledge Bank (EKB). This research received no external funding.
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Ahmed H. Yakout developed the methodology, performed validation, and prepared the original draft. Waheed Sabry and Hany M. Hasanien conceptualized the study. Amr S. Mashaal contributed to the software and validation, while Adel M. Alfons and Abdelrahman M. Metwaly assisted in analysis and visualization. Marwa Hassan handled data curation and participated in manuscript review and editing alongside Waheed Sabry. Supervision and project administration were conducted by Waheed Sabry. Ahmed H. Yakout is the corresponding author of this work. All authors have read and approved the final version of the manuscript.
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Yakout, A.H., Mashaal, A.S., Alfons, A.M. et al. Sustainable sizing, dispatch, and resilience planning of hybrid microgrids using Arctic Puffin Optimization. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37727-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37727-0
