Abstract
Microgrids are autonomous systems that generate, distribute, store, and manage energy. This type of energy solution has the potential to supply energy to remote communities since they can integrate solar, wind, and back-up diesel generation. These systems are potentially beneficial in Peru, where there are approximately 1.5 million people without access to electricity. This paper studies the technical aspects of the implementation, operation, and social impact of a hybrid microgrid installed in Laguna Grande, Ica, Peru, a rural fishing community composed of about 35 families who have lived in this remote location for more than 40 years without access to electricity. The design of the microgrid comprised three main stages: assessment, sizing, and social management. According to resource assessment, this location has a very high wind potential with an average of 8 m/s and annual average irradiation of 6 kWh/m2/day. The microgrid was designed based on interviews with members of the community on energy use, social-economic aspects, and factors such as expected growth and available funds. The construction followed a participatory approach, involving the community in specific stages of the project. This hybrid microgrid is composed of a 6 kWp photovoltaic system and two wind turbines of 3 kW each. It has two coupled 4 kW inverters that deliver power to a 230 V AC distribution line to which all the community loads are connected. Energy is stored using a VRLA 800 Ah, 48 V battery bank, which is designed to work at 50% DOD. The installed microgrid has proven very effective in supplying the average daily demand of 23 kWh at an almost steady power of 1–1.2 kW. During almost 2 years of monitoring, it has presented a 10% loss of load due to peak increases in demand, technical problems, and occasional low solar and wind resources. PV/wind integration is very important since approximately 60% of the energy demand is nocturnal. The CAPEX of the project reached USD 36,000.00, obtaining a cost of energy levelized cost of energy of 0.267 USD per kWh. The project has a useful life of 20 years, with battery renewal every 3 years and wind turbines and electronics every 10.
Highlights
A fraction of the world population still has no access to electricity and its associated benefits
Solar Radiation Solar radiation measurements were performed for the correct sizing of the photovoltaic system
The database closest to the measured values was the NREL Database, which according to the Mean Bias Error (MBE), overestimates the radiation by 1.76%
Summary
A fraction of the world population still has no access to electricity and its associated benefits. A total of 88.86% of the world population has access to electricity, but this number declines to 78.67% when only rural areas are taken into account (World Bank, 2019). The intermittent use of diesel generators is unsustainable and creates a strong dependence on fuel and spare supply (Kirubi et al, 2009; Loka et al, 2014). Energy consumption across the world will grow by nearly 50% between 2018 and 2050, and renewable energy/electricity share growth will soon exceed fossil fuels (EIA, 2019). The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) from different microgrids around the world is getting more competitive and could replace diesel generators in different scenarios (Rehman and El-Amin, 2015; IRENA, 2016; El-houari et al, 2019; Veilleux et al, 2020). The logical step is to develop and invest in technologies and solutions that use renewable resources
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