Abstract
The need for inexpensive and sustainable electricity has become an exciting adventure due to the recent rise in the local population and the number of visitors visiting the Banana Islands. Banana Islands is a grid-isolated environment with abundant renewable energy, establishing a hybrid renewable energy-based power system may be a viable solution to the high cost of diesel fuel. This paper describes a dual-flow optimization method for electrifying the Banana Islands, a remote island in Sierra Leone. The study weighs the pros and cons of maintaining the current diesel-based power setup versus introducing a hybrid renewable energy system that takes backup component analysis into account. Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) software is used in the first optimization to optimally design the various system configurations based on techno-economic and environmental characteristics. A Multi-Attribute Decision-Making (MADM) Model that takes into account in the second optimization, the Combinative Distance-based Assessment System (CODAS) algorithm, and various methods of assigning weights to the attributes is used to rank the best configuration. The results show that the hybrid renewable energy system is a better option for electrifying the Banana Islands than the current stand-alone system. The Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) method of weight assignment was found to be superior to the Entropy method. Biogas generator-assisted hybrid configurations outperformed diesel generator-assisted hybrid configurations. With an optimum design of 101 kW PV, 1 wind turbine, 50 kW biogas, 86 batteries, and a 37.8 kW converter, the PV-wind-biogas-battery system is rated as the best configuration. It has a net present cost (NPC) of $487,247, a cost of energy (COE) of $0.211/kWh, and CO2 emission of 17.5 kg/year. Sensitivity analyses reveal that changes in the rate of inflation and the cost of storage have a significant effect on the overall cost of the configuration.
Highlights
Power system engineers have found that designing and preparing the configuration of power systems for grid-isolated settlements has become a major bottleneck
The optimization results show that a standalone diesel configuration is not provided more unmet loads and excess electricity
The main goal of this study is to find a cost-effective and long-term power system design for supplying electricity to Sierra Leone’s Banana Islands
Summary
Power system engineers have found that designing and preparing the configuration of power systems for grid-isolated settlements has become a major bottleneck. Obtaining a cost-effective and long-lasting power configuration will help to boost economic growth This is much more difficult in settlements that do not have access to electricity, as the authors in [1] demonstrate. A large exodus of tourists visits these coastal settlements, but most of their activities are distorted by poor electricity access Many of these settlements are located away from grid networks and are surrounded by dense jungles and rough terrain, which makes grid extension difficult. These communities rely on kerosene lamps and stand-alone diesel generators to provide electricity, according to [6]. Alternatives to standalone diesel generators have arisen in the form of renewable energy power systems
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