A robust bi-level programming approach for optimal planning an off-grid zero-energy complex

Electric power provision for all the customers is not always possible for distribution companies. Some customers are interested in serving their load through renewable resources regarding the climate situation. Electrically off-grid zero-energy building is an applicable concept, in which the electrical energy provision of the buildings is isolated from the power supply infrastructures. This paper introduces a robust bi-level programming model to create a cost-effective off-grid zero energy complex in Kish Island under risk management. The upper level of the planning is composed of two components, the passive design of buildings within the complex and the design of a stand-alone energy system. The passive design as an energy-saving tool includes the selection of insulation material for building external walls and finding the optimum thickness. Also, the stand-alone energy system design denotes the sizing of diesel generator, photovoltaic, and battery energy storage as the distributed energy resources. The lower-level problem optimally handles the annual scheduling of these resources to meet the complex demand under the impact of passive cooling. The Karush–Kuhn–Tucker condition method is used to solve this bi-level planning problem. Furthermore, the battery degradation is concerned via the throughput model to consider the replacement cost of the problem.