This study introduces the Sea Horse Optimizer (SHO), a novel optimization algorithm designed for Load Frequency Control (LFC) in two-area power systems including photovoltaic and thermal units. Inspired by the interactive behaviors of seahorses, this population-based metaheuristic algorithm leverages strategies like Brownian motion and Levy flights to efficiently search for optimal solutions, demonstrating quicker and more stable identification of global and local optima than traditional algorithms. The proposed SHO algorithm was tested in a two-region power system containing a photovoltaic system and a reheat thermal unit under three different scenarios. In the first scenario, the frequency response of the algorithm to a 0.1 p.u. load change in both regions was examined. In the second scenario, the algorithm's frequency response to sudden load changes from 0.1 p.u. to 0.4 p.u. was tested. Finally, the algorithm's frequency response was examined against different levels of solar irradiance for sensitivity analysis. This study compared the performance of the SHO-optimized controller with the optimization algorithms reported in the literature, including the Genetic Algorithm (GA), Firefly Algorithm (FA), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), and Modified Whale Optimization Algorithm (MWOA). In this context, the optimization of PI controller gain parameters based on the ITAE metric resulted in SHO algorithm achieving the best performance with values of 2.5308, followed by WOA at 4.1211, FA at 7.4259, and GA at 12.1244. In tests, SHO significantly outperformed these algorithms in key performance metrics, such as Settling Time, Overshoot (M+), and Undershoot (M-). Specifically, SHO achieved 98.94% better overshoot and 85.25% reduced undershoot than GA, and concluded settling times 52.79% faster than GA in the first scenario. Similar superior outcomes were noted in subsequent tests. These results underline SHO's efficacy in enhancing system stability and control performance, marking it as a significant advancement over conventional LFC methods.

Load Frequency Control (LFC) is essential to ensure the stability and performance of power systems. In this study, a novel optimization algorithm, the Sea Horse Optimizer (SHO) algorithm, was proposed for optimizing controller parameters in LFC problems of power system. The proposed SHO algorithm was tested on a two-area power system with photovoltaic system and reheat thermal units, under three different scenarios: a 10% load change in both area, large load disturbances, and varying solar radiation. The proposed algorithm optimizes the gain parameters of PI/PID controllers using performance metrics such as Integral of Absolute value of the Error (IAE), Integral of Square Error (ISE), Integral of Time multiplied by Square Error (ITSE), and Integral of Time multiplied by Absolute Error (ITAE). The study compared the performance of the SHO-optimized controller with other reported optimization algorithms such as Genetic Algorithm (GA), Firefly Algorithm (FA), Whale Optimization Algorithm (WOA), and Modified Whale Optimization Algorithm (MWOA). The study also evaluated the accuracy and effectiveness of the controllers using performance metrics such as Settling Time, Overshoot (M+), and Undershoot (M-). The results show that the SHO-tuned controller significantly reduces overshoot, undershoot, and settling time of the system oscillations compared to other algorithms. The study provides valuable insights into the optimization of LFC controllers and presents a significant contribution to the literature with its novel algorithm. The proposed SHO algorithm can be considered an effective alternative solution method for LFC in power systems.