In this paper, two aspects related to streetlight systems are considered. In the first part, the economic analysis of replacing existing HPS lamps with light-emitting diode (LED) and discrete LED lamps for street lighting is performed using actual data from Oman. The street lighting system inside Sultan Qaboos University is considered for the case study. The discounted payback period, which is calculated to study the practicability of implementing the system, is found to be 1.01 years, making the system financially appealing. Moreover, the estimated reduction of a carbon footprint shows that tonnes of CO₂ emissions are reduced, which makes it environmentally attractive. The second part of the paper considers optimal sizing of PV/battery system for a new streetlight system with LED lamps. The life cycle cost analysis was performed and the related cost of energy generated per kWh is estimated as 0.097 $/kWh which proves the economic viability of the system to be implemented in Oman besides minimizing the CO₂ emissions to zero.

Microgrids encounter challenges such as higher operational costs, increased emissions, and degradation of storage devices. Furthermore, grid-tied microgrids face problems of higher dependency on the main grid and reverse power flow to the main grid. Perturbation-related issues arising from high penetration of PV energy constitute another challenge. This paper presents a real-time optimization-driven energy management approach for a hybrid microgrid aiming to mitigate these challenges. An energy management system for a microgrid, incorporating PV, battery, fuel cell, and diesel generator, is developed considering multiple factors including minimization of the operating cost and emissions, and is validated using hardware-in-the-loop. The hybrid microgrid model is implemented in the Real-Time Digital Simulator (RTDS), where actual data related to weather and load are streamed through the scheduler. A Greedy Optimization Algorithm, compatible with the RTDS, is adopted in this paper. Data communication between the hybrid system model developed in the RTDS, and the optimization algorithm is achieved via the TCP protocol. The results of the real-time optimization, control the outputs of the individual microgrid entities. The proposed energy management system minimizes the operational costs, reduces the dependence on the main grid, and mitigates the perturbation issues arising from high PV penetration. Besides it limits the reverse power flow to the utility grid. This study is, to the best of authors’ knowledge, the first multi-factor energy management approach validated using hardware-in-the-loop. The presented method demonstrates significant potential for global application in microgrids to reduce costs and emissions while improving overall system performance.