Buildings' energy consumption has a great energetic and environmental impact worldwide. The architectural design has great potential to solve this problem because the building envelope exerts influence on the overall system performance, but this is a task that involves many objectives and constraints. In the last two decades, optimization studies applied to energy efficiency of buildings have helped specialists to choose the best design options. However, there is still a lack of optimization approaches applied to the design stage, which is the most influential stage for building energy efficiency over its entire life cycle. Therefore, this article presents a multi-objective optimization model to assist designers in the schematic building design, by means of the Pareto archived evolutionary strategies (PAES) algorithm with the EnergyPlus simulator coupled to evaluate the solutions. The search process is executed by a binary array where the array components evolve over the generations, together with the other building components. The methodology aims to find optimal solutions (OSs) with the lowest constructive cost associated with greater energy efficiency. In the case study, it was possible to simulate the process of using the optimization model and analyze the results in relation to: a standard building; energy consumption classification levels; passive design guidelines; usability and accuracy, proving that the tool serves as support in building design. The OSs reached an average of 50% energy savings over typical consumption, 50% reduction in CO₂ operating emissions, and investment return less than 3 years in the four different weathers.

This paper presents industrial insights into on-line robust local tap changer runaway inhibition issues in renewable distributed energy resources (DERs)-rich reconfigurable distribution networks with step-voltage regulators (SVRs). Based on the industrial insights, an algorithm is proposed for on-line robust local bi-directional inhibition of runaway events from only one tap change with robustness guarantees and without the need for coordinated test tap changes in cascade SVRs. The main contributions of the paper are the innovative application of the algorithm on on-line robust local bi-directional inhibition of tap changer runaway and the introduction to the industrial insights. The accuracy and robustness of the proposed algorithm are verified by time-series flow power simulation tests conducted on two test networks, with noise and gross errors in measurements, using extensive Monte Carlo simulations. Uncoordinated operation of test tap changes in cascade SVRs is examined through case studies on an actual long rural distribution network. Finally, the effect of photovoltaic (PV) power output variability on the proposed algorithm performance is assessed.

Isolated microgrids with green hydrogen storage offer a promising solution for supplying electricity to remote communities where conventional grid expansion is infeasible. Designing such systems requires balancing two conflicting objectives: minimizing installation and operation costs while maximizing supply reliability. This paper proposes a multi-objective optimization methodology, based on the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II, to determine the optimal sizing of multiple microgrid components. This sizing explicitly addresses both the power capacities (kW) (for photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, electrolyzers, and fuel cells) and the energy storage capacities (kWh and kg) (for batteries and hydrogen tanks, respectively), aiming to generate Pareto-optimal solutions that explore this trade-off. The proposed method evaluates the trade-off by minimizing two objectives: the Net Present Value, which includes investment, replacement, and maintenance costs, and the total expected interruption hours, derived from an hourly energy balance analysis. The methodology’s effectiveness is validated using four distinct case studies. Three of these are based on real locations with specific load profiles and climate data. To test the method’s robustness, a fourth case study uses a fictitious load profile, designed with pronounced seasonal variations and a clear distinction between weekday and weekend consumption. Our results demonstrate the method’s ability to identify efficient hybrid renewable topologies combining photovoltaic and/or wind generation, batteries, and hydrogen systems (electrolyzer, storage tank, and fuel cell). The obtained cost–reliability curves provide practical decision-support tools for system planners.

This study proposes a simplified mathematical formulation for optimizing isolated microgrids, enhancing computational efficiency while preserving solution quality. The research focuses on the influence of Operation and Maintenance (O&M) costs for Non-Dispatchable Generators (NDGs) and the relationship between costs and pollutant emissions. The proposed simplification reduces computational requirements, improves result interpretability, and increases the scalability of optimization techniques. The O&M costs of photovoltaic and wind systems were excluded from the initial optimization and calculated afterward. A Student’s t-test yielded a p-value of 87.3%, confirming no significant difference between the tested scenarios, ensuring that the simplification does not impact solution quality while reducing computational complexity. For emission-related costs, scenarios with single and multiple pollutant generators were analyzed. When only one generator type is present, modifications are needed to enable effective multi-objective optimization. To address this, two alternative mathematical formulations were tested, offering more suitable approaches for the problem. However, when multiple pollutant sources exist, cost and emission differences naturally define the problem as multi-objective without requiring adjustments. Future work will explore grid-connected microgrids and additional optimization objectives, such as loss minimization, voltage control, and device lifespan extension.