Analyzing the Prospect of Hybrid Energy in the Cement Industry of Pakistan, Using HOMER Pro

This paper deals with the design of a hybrid system for the generation of electricity and heat that will supply a remote fishpond in eastern Serbia. The proposed hybrid system consists of a micro-hydro power plant (MHPP), a photovoltaic (PV) generator, a combined heat and power (CHP) unit with one diesel generator, batteries, a converter, a thermal load controller (TLC), and a boiler. A comprehensive techno-economic analysis is performed in the HOMER Pro software, which evaluated and compared 12 possible configurations with different combinations of system components. The results show that the optimal system has the lowest total net present cost (NPC) and the lowest levelized cost of energy (COE) amounting to 284421.0 $ and 0.178 $/kWh, respectively. Compared to a diesel/batteries/converter/boiler hybrid system, the proposed system produces 65.4 % less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, while the shares of electricity, heat, and renewable energy generation are increased by 31.1 %, 5.0 %, and 51.2 %, respectively. It is shown that covering the demand for heat by regenerating the waste heat from the diesel generator and excess electricity from renewables contributes to reducing the total cost of the system and the GHG emissions. This finding finally emphasised the necessity of applying TLCs in off-grid hybrid systems.

Pakistan’s economic growth is being impacted by the energy crisis, because of nation’s reliance on expensive electricity, obtained from independent power producers (IPPs). To address this issue, herein, we report an analysis of various off‐grid and grid‐connected hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES), for cheap electrification of area under municipal committee (MC) Jhelum, district Jhelum, Pakistan. Various HRES systems are designed, simulated, and optimized using HOMER Pro software, with a focus on techno‐economic factors. The net present cost (NPC) and levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for the proposed designs are obtained and refined by adjusting the sensitive parameters, that is, components costs, nominal discount rate, inflation rate, and annual capacity shortage of components. The results reveal that the most economical system obtained is grid‐connected system, which comprises of solar photovoltaic (PV), diesel generators (DGs), and batteries, with LCOE (0.03719 $/kWh) and NPC (1,797,396 $). Robustness analysis is carried out: (1) to confirm the technical reliability of proposed system, (2) comparing our system’s LCOE with government tariff and previous literature, which reveals that the proposed system provides cheaper electricity. Finally, we discussed potential barriers like technical, policy making, social awareness, social acceptance, and economic that affect implementation of such systems. We have provided recommendations to rectify these barriers for successfully deploying sustainable energy systems across the country.

<p>The co-ordination of non-conventional energy technologies such as solar, wind, geothermal, biomass and ocean are gaining significance in India due to more energy requirements and high greenhouse gas emission. In this assessment, the sustainability of emerging the gird isolated hybrid solar photovoltaic (PV)/wind turbine (WT)/diesel generator (DG)/battery system for Arunai Engineering College (India) building is evaluated. The techno- economic and environmental research was inspected by HOMER Pro software by choosing the optimal combination depends on size of the components, renewable fraction, net present cost (NPC), cost of energy (COE) and greenhouse gas (GHG) emission of the hybrid system. From the acquired outcomes and sensitivity investigation, the optimal PV-WT-DG- Battery combination has a NPC of $28.944.800 and COE $0.1266/kWh, with an operating cost of $256.761/year. The grid isolated hybrid system is environmentally pleasant with a greenhouse gas emission of 2.692 kg/year with renewable fraction of 99.9%.</p>

This paper explores several possible hybridized techniques to supply electrical energy at remote locations where the utility grid extension is found uneconomical. In this work, diesel-generator (DG) is combined with the various renewable energy resources (RES) and multiple storage facilities, such as (i) proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) and hydrogen energy storage (HES), (ii) PEMFC, HES, and Solar PV, and (iii) HES, Solar PV, PEMFC, HES, and battery storage system (BSS), respectively, to achieve the best hybrid solution to supply electrical power in remotely located area efficiently. The Homer Pro software developed by the national renewable energy laboratory is used in this paper for conducting the proposed analysis. The problem is formulated as a multi-objective optimization problem to minimize the cost and greenhouse gas emissions. Three performance indices or objective functions, namely net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and unmet load, have been evaluated for these three hybridizations to determine the best alternative to overcome the energy crunch, which is existing especially in remotely located area. The comparative analysis of the estimated performance parameters has revealed that the hybridization of DG with Solar PV, PEMFC, HES, & BSS provides smaller values of NPC (in US $), LCOE (in US $/kWh), and unmet load. Furthermore, hybridization of DG with Solar PV, PEMFC, HES, & BSS results in the lowest pollutant emission with zero unmet loads and energy wastage. Therefore, in this study, hybridization of DG, Solar PV, PEMFC, HES, & BSS is recommended as the best alternative to supply electrical power efficiently and economically to remote areas. In this stand-alone work mode of operation of DG is considered as a reference system and named ‘Combination 1’. The LCOE and NPC of the best suitable HPS are obtained as 0.50193 US $/kWh and 35200000 US $, respectively. As a result, the system's emission is reduced by 94% compared with the base case (combination 1).

Remote area electrification is a crucial need in sub-Saharan Africa’s drive to attain universal electrification. In Sierra Leone, with a rural population of over 5 million, the electrification rate accounts for less than 10% of the total inhabitants. This paper presents a comparative techno-economic analysis carried out to determine the most feasible of four individual options for off-grid mini-grid power generation system utilizing sources that include: Solar Photo Voltaic (SPV), Diesel Generator (DG), and Battery Storage (BS) system, to provide electricity for a rural and remote village located in the northwestern part of Sierra Leone (longitude 9.1°W and latitude 12.6°N), with an average daily solar irradiance between 4.6 and 6 kWh/m2/day. An assessment of the total electrical load estimated an expected daily consumption of 178 kWh. Simulation, optimization, and sensitivity analyses of each one of the individual power generation systems were carried out using HOMER software. Economic parameters such as Cost of Capital (CC), Net Present Cost (NPC), Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE)), technical parameters (energy production characteristics), and greenhouse gases emissions were compared and analyzed. Key findings from the simulation result indicate that systems consisting of DG only ($29,750) and SPV/BS ($110,131) obtained the least and highest CC, respectively. Similarly, in a respective manner, the highest and least NPC were obtained for systems with DG only ($496,336) and PV/DG/BS ($152,491) over a 25-year project lifetime. Furthermore, the least LCOE was obtained for the system comprising PV/DG/BS ($0.336/kWh). With an expected annual generation of (75,121 kWh), PV/DG/BS was obtained to be the most optimal solution. The sensitivity analysis observed that a reduction in the discount rate consequently reduces the LCOE of such a system. Furthermore, the model accounts for a 90% renewable energy fraction, with a significant reduction in the amount of annual GHG emissions, when compared with a generation system using diesel generator only.

Technical, economic feasibility and sensitivity analysis of solar photovoltaic/battery energy storage off‐grid integrated renewable energy system

This paper focuses on reducing the LCOE (Levelized Cost of Energy), the unmet load, Net Present Cost (NPC) and the greenhouse gas emissions by the utilization of an optimized off-grid integrated renewable energy system. The LCOE has been reduced by 14.8% of that of DG and by 28.6 % of Diesel Generator (DG) with Battery System, whereas the NPC has been reduced by 14.7% of DG only system and by 28.7% of DG with Battery System. A comparison analysis has also been presented based on the performance of the proposed system and most recently published similar studies. To achieve these objectives, an optimization algorithm has been developed and simulated in Hybrid Optimization Model for Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) software with different combinations of IRES, DG and battery systems. Similarly, intending to analyze the feasibility and performance in terms of the technical and economic aspects of the proposed system, HOMER is used. Based on the obtained results, broadly, it is examined that the proposed system decreases diesel consumption by around 8113 liters/year and the total emissions of greenhouse gas by about 21545 kg/year in the study area; thereby, it can be foreseen as a viable and sustainable option(s) for the development of more such systems in remote locations.

Analysis of nuclear-renewable hybrid energy system for marine ships

Renewable energy sources, particularly solar photovoltaic generation, now dominate generation options. Solar generation advancements have resulted in floating solar photovoltaics, also known as FSPV systems. FSPV systems are one of the fastest growing technologies today, providing a viable replacement for ground-mounted PV systems due to their flexibility and low land-space requirement. This paper presents a systematic approach for implementing a proposed FSPV–grid integrated system in Bhilai Steel Plant’s (BSP) subsections. BSP is a steel manufacturing plant located in Bhilai, Chhattisgarh, and the FSPV system has the potential to generate sufficient energy by accessing two of its reservoirs. The system was simulated in HOMER Pro software, which provided the FSPV system power estimations, area requirements, net present cost (NPC), levelized cost of energy (LCOE), production summary, grid purchasing/selling, IRR, ROI, paybacks and pollutant emissions. A sensitivity analysis for a hike in PV prices globally due to a shortage in poly silicone in international markets during the fiscal year 2021–2022 was undertaken for the proposed FSPV–grid system. Here, the authors considered hikes in the PV price of 1%, 9%and 18% respectively, since the maximum percentage increase in PV prices globally is 18%. The authors also compared the proposed FSPV–grid system to the existing grid-only system for two sections of the BSP and the results obtained showed that the NPC and LCOE would be much lower in the case of the FSPV–grid system than the grid-only system. However, with changes in the percentage hike in PV prices, the NPC and LCOE were found to increase due to changes in the proportion of FSPV–grid systems in production. The pollutant emissions were the minimum in the case of the FSPV–grid system, whereas they were the highest in the case of the existing grid-only system. Furthermore, the payback analysis indicated that the minimum ROI for the above-defined construction would be fully covered in 15.81 years with the nominal 1% pricing for FSPV–grid generation. Therefore, the overall results suggest that the FSPV–grid system has the potential to be a perfect alternative solar energy source that can meet the current electrical energy requirements of the steel manufacturing industry with nominal pricing better than the existing grid-only system, as well as addressing economic constraints and conferring environmental benefits.

This paper examines different off-grid renewable energy-based electrification schemes for an informal settlement in Windhoek, Namibia. It presents a techno-economic comparison between the deployment of solar home systems to each residence and the supplying power from either a centralized roof-mounted or ground-mounted hybrid microgrid. The objective is to find a feasible energy system that satisfies technical and user constraints at a minimum levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and net present cost (NPC). Sensitivity analyses are performed on the ground-mounted microgrid to evaluate the impact of varying diesel fuel price, load demand, and solar photovoltaic module cost on system costs. HOMER Pro software is used for system sizing and optimization. The results show that a hybrid system comprising a solar photovoltaic, a diesel generator, and batteries offers the lowest NPC and LCOE for both electrification schemes. The LCOE for the smallest residential load of 1.7 kWh/day and the largest microgrid load of 5.5 MWh/day is USD 0.443/kWh and USD 0.380/kWh, respectively. Respective NPCs are USD 4738 and USD 90.8 million. A sensitivity analysis reveals that variation in the fuel price and load demand changes linearly with system costs and capacities. However, reducing the PV module price in an energy system that includes wind and diesel power sources does not offer significant benefits. Furthermore, deploying an energy system that relies on fossil fuels to each residence in an informal settlement is not environmentally responsible. Unintended negative environmental impacts may result from the mass and simultaneous use of diesel generators. Therefore, a microgrid is recommended for its ability to control the dispatch of diesel generation, and its scalability, reliability of supply, and property security. A roof-mounted microgrid can be considered for piloting due to its lower initial investment. The electricity tariff also needs to be subsidized to make it affordable to end-users. Equally, government and community involvement should be prioritized to achieve long-term economic sustainability of the microgrid.

This paper presents the optimization of a 10 MW solar/wind/diesel power generation system with a battery energy storage system (BESS) for one feeder of the distribution system in Koh Samui, an island in southern Thailand. The main objectives are to maximize the deployment of renewable energy-based power generation and to minimize the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). A hybrid renewable energy-based power generation system, consisting of solar PV, wind turbine generators, diesel generator (DiG), bi-directional grid-tied charging inverter (CONV) and BESS, was simulated using HOMER Pro®. This study accessed the database of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for the Surface meteorology and Solar Energy (SSE) for the global solar radiation and temperature, along with the Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA-2) wind database. The simulations show that Scenario 1 (PV/Wind/DiG/BESS/CONV) and Scenario 3 (PV/DiG/BESS/CONV) are the optimal configurations regarding the economic indicators (i.e. minimum net present costs (NPC) of 438 M$ and LCOE of 0.20 $/kWh) and the environmental indicators (i.e. lowest greenhouse gases (GHG) emission avoidances of 6,339 tonnes/year and highest renewable fraction (RF) of 89.4%). Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis illustrates that Scenario 3 offers the optimal system type with the largest annual energy production (AEP). Besides contributing to the body of knowledge of optimization methodologies for microgrid hybrid power systems, the outcome of this work will assist the regional energy practitioners and policy makers regarding optimal configurations of microgrid hybrid systems in the development of a Green Island concept for Koh Samui.

Economic development relies on access to electrical energy, which is crucial for society’s growth. However, power shortages are challenging due to non-renewable energy depletion, unregulated use, and a lack of new energy sources. Ethiopia’s Debre Markos distribution network experiences over 800 h of power outages annually, causing financial losses and resource waste on diesel generators (DGs) for backup use. To tackle these concerns, the present study suggests a hybrid power generation system, which combines solar and biogas resources, and integrates Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) and Pumped Hydro Energy Storage (PHES) technologies into the system. The study also thoroughly analyzes the current and anticipated demand connected to the distribution network using a backward/forward sweep load flow analysis method. The results indicate that the total power loss has reached its absolute maximum, and the voltage profiles of the networks have dropped below the minimal numerical values recommended by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standards (i.e., 0.95–1.025 p.u.). After reviewing the current distribution network’s operation, additional steps were taken to improve its effectiveness, using metaheuristic optimization techniques to account for various objective functions and constraints. In the results section, it is demonstrated that the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) outperforms other metaheuristic optimization techniques across three important objective functions: financial, reliability, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This comparison is based on the capability of the natural selection whale optimization algorithm (NSWOA) to achieve the best possible values for four significant metrics: Cost of Energy (COE), Net Present Cost (NPC), Loss of Power Supply Probability (LPSP), and GHG Emissions. The NSWOA achieved optimal values for these metrics, namely 0.0812 €/kWh, 3.0017 × 106 €, 0.00875, and 7.3679 × 106 kg reduced, respectively. This is attributable to their thorough economic, reliability, and environmental evaluation. Finally, the forward/backward sweep load flow analysis employed during the proposed system’s integration significantly reduced the impact of new energy resources on the distribution network. This was evident in the reduction of total power losses from 470.78 to 18.54 kW and voltage deviation from 6.95 to 0.35 p.u., as well as the voltage profile of the distribution system being swung between 1 and 1.0234 p.u., which now comply with the standards set by the IEEE. Besides, a comparison of the cost and GHG emission efficiency of the proposed hybrid system with existing (grid + DGs) and alternative (only DGs) scenarios was done. The findings showed that, among the scenarios examined, the proposed system is the most economical and produces the least amount of GHG emissions.

The world transition to cleaner energy has compelled oil and gas producers to pursue decarbonisation paths that align with climate targets. This is key for offshore oil and gas operations, which are energy intensive and highly polluting. This study explores hybrid renewable energy integration for offshore oilfield operations using a production platform in the Gulf of Guinea, Nigeria. The asset has an annual demand of 38.8 GWh and a peak load of 4.9 MW. With average solar irradiance of 5.5 kWh/m²/day and wind speeds of 6–8 m/s, the site presents favourable conditions for offshore hybrid renewable systems. Using site-specific environmental data and energy needs, six scenarios were modeled using HOMER Pro software: a conventional diesel only system; along with combinations of wind, solar photovoltaic (PV), sodium-sulfur (NAS) battery storage and hydrogen fuel cells. Net Present Cost (NPC), Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE), emissions and system reliability were then assessed for each scenario. Results show diesel-only systems yield the highest emissions (~6.99 million kg CO2/year) and costs. Hybrid wind–solar–storage systems achieved over 77% emission reduction, 30% lower NPC, and an 89.8% drop in LCOE. Storage enhanced reliability and increased renewable penetration. This study presents a techno-economic framework to guide offshore decarbonisation using location-specific hybrid modelling. The results align with Nigeria's energy transition ambitions and provide a framework for offshore hybrid integration. The outcomes validate the viability of hybrid systems using renewable energy resources and provide solutions consistent with international decarbonisation targets. Subsequent phases will also include Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) and MATLAB/Simulink based tidal energy modelling to enhance offshore energy planning.

Microgrids are becoming more popular in areas where there is still no connectivity to the main grid largely due to their remote geographical location. This paper focuses on the feasibility analysis, using the HOMER Pro simulation program, of an islanded micro-grid for the Navajo community in Tohatchi, New Mexico using different energy mixes of a Photovoltaics (PV) system, a Wind Energy system, a Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) and a Diesel Generator. The Net Present Cost (NPC), and the Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE), were the two crucial economic factors considered. Through the analysis, the system with the PV, wind turbines, battery, and a diesel generator was found to have the lowest LCOE and NPC. There was a reduction of 75% in the costs of the combined system as compared to the diesel-only base case. Also, this combined system provided the minimum emission levels. The analysis suggests that the integration of renewable energy using microgrids to help the access of energy for rural areas was possible. The analysis could very well be extended to any other community by considering the wind and solar resources present at that location.

Microgrids for green hydrogen production for fuel cell buses – A techno-economic analysis for Fiji