Optimal sizing and techno-enviro-economic evaluation of a hybrid photovoltaic/wind/diesel system with battery and fuel cell storage devices under different climatic conditions in Cameroon

Abstract

Due to advancements in renewable energy technology and their ability to mitigate the issue of global warming, solar and wind energy sources are becoming increasingly popular for power generation. However, the intermittent nature of these sources means that their availability does not always correlate with load fluctuations. Hence, to solve the unpredictability concerns associated with solar and wind energy sources, they may be integrated with storage technologies and conventional energy sources (diesel generators) in a hybrid energy system (HES) to continuously supply the load demand. This paper performs a techno-economic and environmental assessment of hybrid systems integrating photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine generator (WT), and diesel generator (DSL), considering fuel cell (FC) and battery (BAT) storage devices, to supply three non-domestic loads at different locations in Cameroon, namely, Fotokol, Idabato, Kousseri, and Figuil. The Cuckoo Search Algorithm (CSA) is introduced to optimally size the various components of the proposed systems in order to fulfill the load demands in the most cost-effective manner with excellent reliability. The results show that in the short term period, hybrid systems incorporating battery storage devices are more cost effective than fuel cell storage systems. Indeed, the most optimal system found was PV/WT/BAT/DSL at the city of Idabato, with a COE of 0.151$/kWh, 0.180$/kWh, and 0.220$/kWh for high, medium, and low consumers, with corresponding break-even distances of 0 km, 0.14 km, and 0.44 km, respectively. Traditionally, using diesel generator systems for power generation costs 0.469$/kWh, 0.618$/kWh, and 0.766$/kWh, with CO2 emissions of 13694.3 kg/year, 10351.4 kg/year, and 8978.1 kg/year for high, medium, and low consumers, respectively. However, using the PV/WT/BAT/DSL configuration at Idabato in comparison to the conventional diesel generator reduces CO2 emissions in this locality by 94.32%, 95.22%, and 93.79% for high, medium, and low consumers, respectively. On the other hand, the PV/WT/FC/DSL hybrid system at Idabato presents COE of 1.018$/kWh, 1.655$/kWh, and 2.289$/kWh, with saving CO2 emissions of 91.27%, 91.76%, and 94.63% for high, medium, and low consumers, respectively.