Large-scale economic load dispatch using squirrel search algorithm

Purpose Economic load dispatch (ELD) is one of the crucial optimization problems in power system planning and operation. The ELD problem with valve point loading (VPL) and multi-fuel options (MFO) is defined as a non-smooth and non-convex optimization problem with equality and inequality constraints, which obliges an efficient heuristic strategy to be addressed. The purpose of this study is to present a new and powerful heuristic optimization technique (HOT) named as squirrel search algorithm (SSA) to solve non-convex ELD problems of large-scale power plants. Design/methodology/approach The suggested SSA approach is aimed to minimize the total fuel cost consumption of power plant considering their generation values as decision variables while satisfying the problem constraints. It confers a solution to the ELD issue by anchoring with foraging behavior of squirrels based on the dynamic jumping and gliding strategies. Furthermore, a heuristic approach and selection rules are used in SSA to handle the constraints appropriately. Findings Empirical results authenticate the superior performance of SSA technique by validating on four different large-scale systems. Comparing SSA with other HOTs, numerical results depict its proficiencies with high-qualitative solution and by its excellent computational efficiency to solve the ELD problems with non-smooth fuel cost function addressing the VPL and MFO. Moreover, the non-parametric tests prove the robustness and efficacy of the suggested SSA and demonstrate that it can be used as a competent optimizer for solving the real-world large-scale non-convex ELD problems. Practical implications This study has compared various HOTs to determine optimal generation scheduling for large-scale ELD problems. Consequently, its comparative analysis will be beneficial to power engineers for accurate generation planning. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this manuscript is the first research work of using SSA approach for solving ELD problems. Consequently, the solution to this problem configures the key contribution of this paper.