Abstract
This paper reports on a hydro backed-up (HPBU) hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) for a rural off-grid community in Kwara State Nigeria with an average demand load of 550.9 kWh (90.7 kW peak) per day. By using HOMER Pro software, the formulation and identification of the best reliable system architecture for attaining technical and economic viability while using nearby existing RE sources such as hydro, wind and solar energy are appropriately modelled and optimized based on the minimal net present cost (NPC) and cost of energy (COE). It was determined that the three best feasible configurations of a HPBU-HRES for the site have an annual output ranging from 1,642,979 – 1,749,272 kWh/yr and a cost of electricity (COE) in the range of 0.34 – 0.64 $/kWh. The best optimal HPBU-HRES (system 1) is a combination of 184 kW of solar PV (PV), 4,545 kWh of battery capacity (BB), 81.3 kW of converter (Conv) and 277 kW of hydro generation capacity (HPP). A comparison study undertaken to illustrate the economic benefits of the studied systems shows that about 288,116, 88,342 and 53, 88 kg/yr of CO<sub>2</sub> savings is possible against diesel only, grid extension and first best equivalent diesel engine backed-up (DEBU) system respectively. In furtherance of the study, a sensitivity analysis of the likely variation associated with the metrological parameters, load and cost of components was undertaken. The Outcomes show that system 1 (PV/HPP-BB) is the optimal system for small to medium loads (≤600 kWh/day), irrespective of the solar radiation. In addition, it is established that a decrease in the system’s total initial cost by half will lead to a decline of COE to $0.177 per kWh at a corresponding NPC of $3,029.
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