Unit Commitment with Respect to Both Cost and Emission Based on a Day Load Demand in an Integrated Solar and Wind Power System

Abstract

Emission control has become a critical global challenge due to increasing greenhouse gas (GHG) concentrations, primarily resulting from fossil-fuel-based power generation. In India, the growing electricity demand has intensified dependence on thermal power plants, leading to higher carbon dioxide emissions and associated environmental concerns. This paper addresses the dual objectives of reducing electricity generation cost and minimizing emissions by integrating renewable energy sources with conventional thermal units. Solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind power are incorporated into the generation mix. The problem formulation employs Unit Commitment (UC) to determine the optimal hourly scheduling of generating units and Economic Load Dispatch (ELD) to allocate generation economically among committed units. A 24-hour UC problem for a system of four thermal units is solved using Dynamic Programming. The results demonstrate that coordinating renewable energy with thermal generation significantly decreases operating costs and carbon emissions. The findings highlight the potential of renewable–thermal integration as a viable approach for sustainable and costefficient power system operation.