Techno-economic optimization analysis of stand-alone renewable energy system for remote areas

Abstract

Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) are becoming popular as stand-alone power systems for providing electricity in remote areas due to the advancement in renewable energy technologies and subsequent rise in the prices of conventional fuels. A hybrid energy system, or hybrid power, usually consists of two or more renewable energy sources used together to provide increased system efficiency as well as greater balance in energy supply. Therefore, this paper aims at the design optimization of the hybrid renewable energy systems to meet the specific daily residential load profile for remote areas. The optimization problem regarding the design of a hybrid renewable energy system has been solved using Homer Pro Software depending on demand-side management during peak and off-peak hours. Four cases are used to evaluate the performance of the proposed design scheme. The simulation results have shown that the proposed design scheme is suitable for remote areas in comparison to the earlier proposed systems depicted in four cases. In addition, a properly planned hybrid system with demand-side management will reduce the overall system cost and increase the system efficiency by reducing carbon emissions, balancing power system by managing overloading and reduction in load shedding as well as less complex design and easy implementation in remote areas.