Abstract
Optimal sizing of hybrid energy systems has been considerably investigated in previous studies. Nevertheless, most studies only focused on providing AC electric loads by renewable energy sources (RESs) and energy storage systems (ESSs). In this paper, a hybrid energy system, including photovoltaic (PV) system, ESS, fuel cell (FC), natural gas (NG) boiler, thermal load controller (TLC), and converter is optimized for supplying different load demands. Three scenarios are introduced to investigate the feasibility of the energy system. Environmental aspects of each system are analyzed, as there are NG-consuming sources in the system structure. A sensitivity analysis is conducted on the influential parameters of the system, such as inflation rate and interest rate. Simulation results show that the proposed hybrid energy system is economically and technically feasible. The net present cost (NPC) and cost of energy (COE) of the system are obtained at $230,223 and $0.0409, respectively. The results indicate that the TLC plays a key role in the optimal operation of the PV system and the reduction in greenhouse gas emission productions.
Highlights
Global industrialization and world population growth have raised the demand for electricity, and the world’s power consumption is estimated to increase by 50% until 2050 [1]
The results indicated that the optimum system and investment efficiency of EV/PV charging stations in municipal areas are considerably dependent on the solar irradiation values and feed-in tariff (FIT) prices of rooftop PV systems
The PV system provides most of the AC and DC loads of the system
Summary
Global industrialization and world population growth have raised the demand for electricity, and the world’s power consumption is estimated to increase by 50% until 2050 [1]. Fossil fuels are the primary source for supplying the world’s energy demand, which contributes to global warming. Greenhouse gas emissions are emitted into the earth’s atmosphere. Adverse effects on public health and climate change issues are inevitable due to the increased level of greenhouse gas emissions. Considering all the mentioned issues, it is essential to supply the world’s power demand using renewable energy resources (RESs), such as photovoltaics (PV) and wind turbine (WT) systems [2]. The heat and radiant light from the Sun are the primary resource of all the RESs, excluding geothermal energy. By hybridizing PV systems, as the technology for capturing solar energy, with various energy storage systems (ESSs) and fuel cells (FCs), it is possible to generate unlimited energy, which eliminates the disadvantageous of the periodic nature of RESs [3,4,5]
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