Abstract
Philippine off-grid islands are mostly electrified by diesel generators, resulting in costly electricity that is interrupted by fuel supply disruptions. The archipelagic nature of the country also impedes off-grid electrification due to the high capital cost of grid extension. Transitioning from diesel-only systems to hybrid renewable energy systems and interconnecting the island microgrids can solve these problems while promoting cleaner energy production. In this work, a comparative study on decentralized and clustered hybrid renewable energy system microgrids in the Polillo group of islands in the Philippines, using HOMER Pro, was performed. Microgrids comprising solar photovoltaics, lithium-ion battery energy storage, and diesel generators were designed on each island. Clustered systems encompassing multiple islands in the island group were simulated by also considering the least-cost interconnection paths. The techno-economics of each decentralized or clustered system and the four-island system were evaluated based on the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). Reliability was assessed using the change in LCOE upon the failure of a component and during weather disturbances. Transitioning from diesel-only systems to hybrid systems reduces generation costs by an average of 42.01% and increases the renewable energy share to 80%. Interconnecting the hybrid systems results in an average increase of 2.34% in generation costs due to the cost of submarine cables but improves system reliability and reduces the optimum solar photovoltaic and lithium-ion storage installations by 6.66% and 8.71%, respectively. This research serves as a framework for the interconnection pre-feasibility analysis of other small off-grid islands.
Highlights
Off-grid islands are remote islands that are difficult to connect to the main grid due to the high cost of interconnection
Attention due to the numerous islands in the country that may be used in case studies. The electrification of these islands has been the priority of the Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) to promote inclusive socio-economic development in these areas [1,2]
Off-grid islands are often electrified by diesel power plants, which in the Philippines are operated by the National Power Corporation-Small
Summary
Off-grid islands are remote islands that are difficult to connect to the main grid due to the high cost of interconnection. These islands can be found globally, but the Philippines has attracted researchers’. Attention due to the numerous islands in the country that may be used in case studies. The electrification of these islands has been the priority of the Philippine Department of Energy (DOE) to promote inclusive socio-economic development in these areas [1,2].
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