University of Pretoria Researchers Optimize C&I Solar with CAES in South Africa
Researchers at the University of Pretoria have developed a multi-objective optimization framework to enhance commercial and industrial solar photovoltaic systems using compressed air energy storage (CAES). Their study demonstrated that co-optimizing PV and CAES could lower capital costs by 15-20% and achieve up to 41.5% renewable energy penetration, with future work aimed at integrating AI for real-time energy management.
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Researchers from the University of Pretoria in South Africa conducted a study to optimize commercial and industrial PV systems with compressed air energy storage (CAES) to minimize investment and operational costs while improving reliability. The study developed a multi-objective optimization framework for real-time sizing of PV and CAES components.
A simulated hybrid microgrid included a PV array, adiabatic CAES, and a backup diesel generator, tested under various conditions. The model indicated that a co-optimized PV-CAES system could reduce capital costs by 15-20% compared to traditional methods.
High-performance configurations achieved up to 41.5% renewable penetration with $13.57 million investment, while cost-constrained setups reduced costs to $9.2 million with lower reliability. Future research will focus on AI-driven energy management for real-time CAES operation.
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