Abstract
Design strategies for achieving reliable, affordable, and clean electricity are crucial for energy sustainability. Attaining it requires managing the three core factors (TCF) of the energy trilemma (ET) to increase reliability (energy equity), minimize the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) (energy equity), and avoid potential CO2 emission (environmental sustainability) simultaneously. This paper aims to present a design strategy for the hybrid energy system microgrid (HESM) model, consisting of a distributed rooftop solar PV (DRSP), battery, and diesel-generator to meet the increasing demand while balancing the TCF of the ET. The design strategy was applied in a cluster of 11 households in Gilutongan Island, Cebu, Philippines, where there is no open land space for a solar PV microgrid system. This study used PVSyst and HOMER Pro software to perform the techno-enviro-economic (TEE) analysis to select all feasible system configurations (FSCs). To identify the optimal FSC, a scoring mechanism that considers the LCOE based on the 5% household electricity expense limit, the 5% unmet load fraction, and the renewable penetration fraction was used. Results show that the optimal system requires an average of 32.2% excess energy from DRSP to balance the TCF of the ET based on the energy demand considered. Thus, planning when energy demand increases is vital to map the next appropriate steps toward sustainable energy transition. Overall, the obtained results can support project developers and policymakers to make informed decisions in balancing the ET from various trade-offs of energy systems.
Highlights
Many developing countries have a target of 100% household electrification
They face a formidable challenge at the grassroots level, in small off-grid island communities (SOICs) where land availability is constrained
Is the three-core factor (TCF) hurdle of the energy trilemma (ET) that needs to be balanced in the energy system planning
Summary
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. According to the International Energy Agency’s 2019 report, significant progress is happening in energy access worldwide. From 1.2 billion in 2010 to 1 billion in 2016, it dropped to roughly 840 million people living without electricity access due to an increased deployment of off-grid technologies. The most significant challenge remains in connecting the poorest and hardest to reach households in the numerous remote areas globally and in Sub-Saharan Africa, where 573 million people still live in the dark [1]
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