Feasibility study of integrating the renewable energy system for increased electricity access: A case study of Choba community in Nigeria

Abstract

There is no way for developing countries to prosper economically or improve their living standards in rural areas if they lack access to energy and power. Access to electricity is frequently a disadvantage in rural areas of developing nations. This work aims to investigate rural electrification in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, using the Choba community as a case study. The investigation was divided into two stages: the first determined the current state of electrification in Choba, and the second study conducted a detailed assessment of integrating the renewable energy system for increased electricity access using the simulation software HOMER pro to estimate the number of photovoltaic modules (PVMs) and wind turbines required to ensure optimal performance. The analysis was examined by selecting the optimum configuration based on levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and net present cost (NPC). The normal energy consumption for the community is estimated to be approximately 39.12–46.80 MW for full 24-hour supply to all residents. In 2021, 6067.64 megawatt hours of electricity were supplied by Port Harcourt electricity distribution company (PHEDC). From the obtained results, this paper proposes an on-grid hybrid PVM/wind turbine system configuration that yields the optimal results in the case study to solve the power outages currently experienced in Choba. The optimal configuration has an NPC of $20.8 Million and LCOE $0.0117/kWh, with an operating cost of $204.52. This system reduce cost of energy by about 87% when compared with the non-MD customers in Band D.