Optimal Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of a Microgrid for Community Load Applications

Abstract

The energy demand is increasing day by day, and fossil fuels are depleting; it is necessary to tap the untapped renewable energy to meet the increasing energy demand. For effective utilization of renewable energy, it is imperative to design and develop the community-level microgrids. Thus, this paper intends the optimal design of a community-level microgrid for available load at BMS College of Engineering, Bengaluru, India. The proposed microgrid consists of hybrid renewable energy sources, such as solar PV, wind turbine, battery storage, and diesel generator. To maintain the reliability of the power supply and to meet the peak load demand during the peak load hours, a diesel generator is proposed. The proposed microgrid is modeled, optimized, and simulated by using the hybrid optimization model for multiple energy resources (HOMER). The levelized cost of energy (LCOE), the net present cost (NPC), and operating cost (OC) are considered for the economic analysis and modeling of microgrid. In autonomous mode, the LCOE, NPC, and OC are estimated as 0.319 $/kWh (22.33 ₹/kWh), $4881,583 (₹341,710,810), and $12,519.34 (₹876,353.8) while in grid-connected mode, the LCOE, NPC, and OC are estimated as 0.0534 $/kWh (3.738 ₹/kWh), $128,621 (₹9,003,470), and $144.84(₹10,138.8), respectively. Further optimum size of the proposed microgrid is also presented. Furthermore, the obtained results are compared with existing models and found that the designed system is superior in terms of cost and sizing.