Feasibility study of hybrid renewable energy systems for off-grid electrification in Kuwait’s rural national park reserve

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study demonstrates the optimal design of a hybrid renewable energy system for the electrification of a potential rural national park reserve. The objective is to evaluate the feasibility of utilising renewable energy sources (RESs) to reduce GHG emissions. The core components studied are photovoltaic solar (PV) panels, wind turbines (WTs), diesel generators (DGs), and battery banks (BBs). The research involves estimating the reserve’s load profile, assessing the potentials of RESs, and designing various system configurations. Each configuration is evaluated to derive the most efficient option. For a building with an energy demand of 832,640 kWh/yr, it is found that PV-WT-BB is the best configuration which comprises of 500-kW PV, 200-kW WT, and 1424-kW BBs and contributes an annual generation of 1,821,732 kWh/year. With a net present cost of $2,206,308 for the lifetime of the project, it saves 757,162 kg/year of total GHG emissions if the reserve operated using DGs.