Optimization Approaches in Renewable Energy Production: An Environmental Impact Review

Renewable energy (RE) technologies are rapidly gaining popularity worldwide as a viable alternative to sustainable power sources, particularly traditional fossil fuels. RE technologies must overcome not only their unsteady nature but also complex and high hurdles in order to survive. Modern optimization approaches emerged as a crucial tool for enhancing the competence and dependability of economic RE systems. In light of the above, the present study aims to highlight different optimization strategies and their role in promoting RE applications. The focus is to demonstrate how to utilize sophisticated optimization techniques to optimize the sizing of RE producing systems from environmental impact viewpoint. This review will attempt to highlight various optimization technologies used in the design and operation stages of system outputs that produce RE. This highlight covers solar, wind, hydro, and thermal RE production. The optimization approaches emphasized evolutionary algorithms (EA), mixed-integer linear programming (MILP), and multi-objective optimization as core technologies. The discussion highlights the benefits and challenges of employing RE generating processes, and how optimization strategies can effectively tackle these issues. The discussion demonstrated the need to strike a balance between the economic and environmental performance of power production systems, while also utilizing current technology to enhance efficiency and sustainability in RE generation.