Abstract
This paper studies in detail a systematic approach to offering a combination of conventional and renewable energy that is adaptable enough to operate in grid-connected and off- grid modes to provide power to a remote village located in Nigeria. To this aim, the HOMER pro software tool was used to model two scenarios from the on-and off-grid systems, evaluating in detail the techno-economic effects and operational behavior of the systems and their adverse impacts on the environment. The impacts of varying load demand, grid power and sellback prices, diesel prices, and solar irradiation levels on system performance were discussed. Results showed that, for both cases, the optimum design consists of a diesel generator rated at 12 kW, with a photovoltaic (PV) panel of 54 kW, a 70 battery group (484 kWh nominal capacity battery bank), and a 21 kW converter. The cost of electricity (COE) and net present cost (NPC) were in the range of $0.1/kWh to 0.218 $/kWh and $117,598 to $273,185, respectively, and CO2 emissions ranged between 5963 and 49,393 kg/year in the two configurations. The results of this work provide a general framework for setting up a flexible and reliable system architecture to ensure continuous power supply to consumers under all conditions.
Highlights
Ensuring a continuous and reliable power supply represents a perpetual challenge for the sustainable economic growth of any country
World electricity generation increased by 2.8% in 2017 due to the evergrowing expansion of renewable energy sources (RESs) led by solar (35%, 114 TWh) and wind (17%, 163 TWh), which contributed to about 49% of the entire growth, despite accounting for only 8% of the total power generated [2]
The proper and accurate selection of the criteria used in the analysis of the renewable and non-renewable energy model is essential in evaluating the performance of different frameworks
Summary
Ensuring a continuous and reliable power supply represents a perpetual challenge for the sustainable economic growth of any country. PV/wind/battery/diesel generation systems with both off- and on-grid connections can ensure a continuous power supply with low operating costs, in addition to minimizing atmospheric pollution levels [3,12]. Most of the previous studies conducted on only a few areas across the country to investigate the viability of renewable hybrid energy generation system using the HOMER simulation program and the other techniques were limited to certain system configurations (grid-connected or off-grid topology) at different locations [25,26]. This study aims to determine an optimal adaptable system configuration for a renewable energy system and conventional energy system in combination with or without a battery storage system based on techno-economic and environmental investigation using the HOMER simulation tool for a residential load in Nigeria’s dry climate region. The information in this work will assist the government and other major energy players in developing, planning, and implementing rural electrification frameworks
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