Comparative techno-economic analyses and optimization of standalone and grid-tied renewable energy systems for South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

This study evaluates the economic, technical, and environmental performance of stand-alone and grid-tied HRES in Khiriya Bharka, India; Thayet Township, Myanmar; Lower Manya Krobo, Ghana; and Mamfe, Cameroon, considering different regional solar radiation, wind speed diversity, and climate. The HRES are designed and modeled using the Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources software (HOMER PRO) to meet consumers' daily loads in the selected places. The analysis results are compared considering the levelized cost of energy (LCOE), net present cost (NPC), greenhouse gas (GHG) emission, renewable fraction (RF), and optimum system configuration. The optimal system configurations are the combination of PV-WT-DG-BAT-CON for grid-tied and stand-alone HRES in India, Ghana, and Cameroon, respectively, and the best configuration for Thayet Township, Myanmar, is WT-DG-BAT-CON. The LCOE of the considered places without grid connection is $0.127/kWh, $0.145/kWh, $0.174/kWh, and $0.143/kWh, respectively. The LCOE of grid-tied HRES is 0.026$/kWh, 0.0286$/kWh, 0.01$/kWh, and 0.0281$/kWh for Khiriya Bharka, Thayet Township, Lower Manya Krobo, and Mamfe, respectively. This research can be useful for planning grid-tied and stand-alone HRES between Asia and African countries by comparing grid-tied and stand-alone HRES to determine the optimum system configuration and finding the best optimization results under different climate conditions. These results are further validated by finding loss of power supply probability (LPSP) and LCOE using particle swarm optimization (PSO). To better inform policymakers and stakeholders in various regions, this research aims to assess and compare renewable energy solutions in terms of their feasibility, cost-effectiveness, environmental impact, and sustainability across a range of geographical, social, and economic contexts.