Electricity In Remote Areas Research Articles

A reliable and cost-effective planning framework of rural area hybrid system considering intelligent weather forecasting

The use of hybrid systems for electrification of remote areas has been increased dramatically in recent years, and the optimal sizing of these systems is a significant challenge for cost-effectiveness and reliability. This paper aims to propose a predictable planning framework that increases the renewable energy penetration (REP) rate and minimizes the annualized cost of the system (ACS) considering CO2 emission and different loss of power supply probability (LPSP). Due to the unavailability of precise weather data in remote areas, an intelligent weather forecasting scheme is developed using an adaptive neuro-fuzzy process based on fuzzy c-means clustering technique to estimate the solar radiation, wind speed, and ambient temperature. This paper also examines various evolutionary algorithms and compare the collected result of the proposed Multi-Verse Optimizer (MVO) with other meta-heuristic methods in terms of total annualized cost with different LPSP, and REP amounts. Moreover, to assess the impact of wind speed, solar irradiation, the lifespan of battery energy storage systems, and the fuel price of diesel engine generators on optimal sizing problem, a sensitivity analysis is performed for different values of REP and LPSP. The effectiveness of the proposed approach is verified using a realistic case study in the Sistan & Balouchestan province of Iran. Simulation results illustrate that using photovoltaic panels, wind turbine generators, battery energy storage systems, and diesel engine generators (PV/WTG/BESS/DEG) is the most cost-effective strategy resulting in a 96.13% decrease of CO2 emission compared to DEG system at REPmin=97% and LPSPmax=1%. Moreover, the growth of fuel cost causes an increase in the production of renewable energy resources (RESs) and a decrease in the usage of diesel engine generators. Consequently, for LPSPmax=10% and REPmin=91%, and 50% rise in the price of fuel, the number of DEG drops to zero, and the optimal number of PV and BESS increase from 311 and 172 to 411 and 228, respectively.

Integrated socio-environmental and techno-economic factors for designing and sizing of a sustainable hybrid renewable energy system

Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) are penentrating into the distributed energy market, which is being proved to be more economical than extending grid-electricity through long distance thereby incurring transmission losses. But, the major concern is the accountability issues resulted from socio-environmental factors that are still the hindrace to the sustainability of the HRES. In this paper, two major socio-environmental factors, viz. land cost and carbon emission penalty are integrated with the important techno-economic factors for designing and sizing of an HRES that comprises PV, biogas generator, and pumped hydro storage (PHS) system. The approach is applied for remote area electrification of an Indian town. The component level modeling of the HRES is performed considering the ambient conditions of the location. In this work, for the first time GOA based meta-heuristic optimizer is developed for solving the optimization problem. The simulation results obtained using GOA are compared with the famous meta-heuristic PSO algorithm to understand the robustness of the former optimizer in terms of computational efforts and statistical performance based on skewness and kurtosis of the total net present cost (TNPC). It is found that the contribution of the socio-environmental factors in the present case is 6% of the TNPC as compared to 94% in regard to techno-economic factors. Comparision of the two optimizers demonstrate shorter computational time and lower cost in respect of GOA. The higher kurtosis value of the TNPC obtained through GOA optimizer indicates the capability of this optimizer to escape from local minima with a greater capability to approximate the global optimum. From GOA, the optimal size of the HRES is obtained as 57.5 kW (341 m2) of PV system, 8 kW of BG plant, 378.4 kWh of energy storage and 33 kW of converter size. On comparing the optimized cost of the present HRES with a very recent work under similar load condition, the present design is found to exhibit lower value of cost of energy.

Quasi-dynamic operation and maintenance plan for photovoltaic systems in remote areas: The framework of Pantanal-MS

Off-grid photovoltaic energy systems (PESs) are increasingly being used for the electrification of remote areas in Brazil, owing to the need for carbon emission avoidance, potential approval of solar resources, and cost-effective expansion limits for conventional distribution systems. However, the complex environment, social, economic, and geographical aspects turn the operation and maintenance (O&M) of PES into a logistic and technical challenge in remote areas. Therefore, this study presents an O&M plan for rural electrification of the Pantanal of the Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) region in Brazil. A quasi-dynamic heuristic approach is proposed, which considers not only the PES requirements but also the environmental constraints, given by the consumer locations, the flood period variation, and the different logistical strategies for off-road assessment. The quasi-dynamic O&M plan was designed based on space, time, and costs, with five main goals: task scheduling, transport route planning, team dispatch, inventory, and vehicle estimation.

Electrification in Rural India by Renewable Energy

Faced with growing concerns about global warming and the depletion of fossil fuels, the international community has turned its attention to renewable energy research in the past two decades. In India and many other countries, electricity in rural areas is unreliable, inadequate, or without electricity. Remote area electrification is a major concern for the government of any developing nation. In the new microgrid model, renewable energy could be a profitable various to suburbanized power generation. Unlike households, non-agricultural enterprises that have not received due attention and political support have relatively high acceptance of Microgrid. The government has implemented various plans to realize the electrification of these areas by expanding the network, but so far, many areas have not been included in the proposed plan due to economic, environmental, and geographic reasons. In this article, we analyse the implementation and use of Microgrid in rural communities in villages that are powered by the grid. However, the current low electricity demand of non-agricultural enterprises in rural areas indicates that the increase in electricity demand and the increase in enterprise productivity require additional services and infrastructure

Development of Integrated Renewable Energy System Based on Optimal Operational Strategy and Sizing for an Un-Electrified Remote Area

Providing electricity access to remote rural areas plays a crucial role in the socio-economic development of the rural community. The use of renewable energy sources (RES) for electrification of remote rural areas has been increased in the past two decades. The integrated renewable energy system (IRES), which embeds two or more RES, is paid great attention to satisfy the energy needs of the rural areas. In the present study, the IRES model is developed using solar, micro-hydro, biomass, biogas, and wind energy sources to meet the electricity demand of the seven un-electrified clusters of hamlets of Limkheda taluka in Dahod district of Gujarat state in India. The proposed IRES model is optimized for the lowest total net present cost (TNPC) and cost of energy (COE) of the system using artificial bee colony (ABC), grey wolf optimization (GWO), and teaching learning-based optimization (TLBO) algorithms. The optimal operational strategy has been developed to minimize the operating cost of the IRES and the optimum sizing of the system. An optimal power scheduling method with a linear programming problem (LPP) approach has been carried out in the MATLAB environment. The proposed power scheduling method effectively reduces the TNPC and COE of the IRES. Finally, the results recorded in the paper confirm that the proposed configuration together with the TLBO method offers the lowest TNPC of INR 9.5951 million and TAC of INR 1.1274 million at the estimated COE of INR 5.68 per kWh, which is comparable with respect to standardized ABC and GWO.

Remote Renewable Hubs for Carbon-Neutral Synthetic Fuel Production

This paper studies the economics of carbon-neutral synthetic fuel production from renewable electricity in remote areas where high-quality renewable resources are abundant. To this end, a graph-based optimisation modelling framework directly applicable to the strategic planning of remote renewable energy supply chains is proposed. More precisely, a hypergraph abstraction of planning problems is introduced, wherein nodes can be viewed as optimisation subproblems with their own parameters, variables, constraints and local objective. Nodes typically represent a subsystem such as a technology, a plant or a process. Hyperedges, on the other hand, express the connectivity between subsystems. The framework is leveraged to study the economics of carbon-neutral synthetic methane production from solar and wind energy in North Africa and its delivery to Northwestern European markets. The full supply chain is modelled in an integrated fashion, which makes it possible to accurately capture the interaction between various technologies on an hourly time scale. Results suggest that the cost of synthetic methane production and delivery would be slightly under 150 €/MWh (higher heating value) by 2030 for a system supplying 10 TWh annually and relying on a combination of solar photovoltaic and wind power plants, assuming a uniform weighted average cost of capital of 7%. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis is also carried out in order to assess the impact of various techno-economic parameters and assumptions on synthetic methane cost, including the availability of wind power plants, the investment costs of electrolysis, methanation and direct air capture plants, their operational flexibility, the energy consumption of direct air capture plants, and financing costs. The most expensive configuration (around 200 €/MWh) relies on solar photovoltaic power plants alone, while the cheapest configuration (around 88 €/MWh) makes use of a combination of solar PV and wind power plants and is obtained when financing costs are set to zero.

Multi-functional carbon nanotube paper for solar water evaporation combined with electricity generation and storage

Nowadays, multi-functional systems driven by solar energy have been explored to alleviate the crisis of energy and freshwater scarcity. However, it remains a great challenge to integrate multi-functions into one hybrid system with a monolithic material, which can harvest, convert and store solar energy synergistically. Here, we firstly propose a multi-functional carbon nanotube paper, which starts from a material level to solve these problems. The carbon nanotube paper is fabricated by vacuum filtration. It exhibits high efficiency of solar-thermal conversion. Secondly, three types of energy conversion/storage systems (e.g., solar-thermal evaporation system, solar-thermoelectric generation system, and supercapacitor) are constructed based on the carbon nanotube paper, which extend the research to a device level. The solar-thermal evaporation system shows an evaporation rate of 1.28 kg m-2h−1 under simulated sunlight irradiation of 1 kW m−2. The solar-thermoelectric generation system demonstrates a stable electric power generation with an output voltage of 100 mV under light irradiation of 1 kW m−2. The supercapacitors perform the energy storage function with an areal specific capacitance of 19.6 mF cm−2. These devices and systems can be used in freshwater generation (0.84 kg m-2h−1, sunlight irradiation of 1 kW m−2), water purification/desalination (inorganic ions rejection larger than 99.9%) and portable solar charging system (maximum output voltage of 5 V). Finally, a hybrid energy system is innovatively proposed from the system level to simultaneously produce freshwater, generate and store electric power. Through the synergetic coupling of solar conversion and storage technologies, the hybrid energy system can supply sustainable freshwater and electricity for remote areas in daily life, highlighting the superiority of multi-energy (thermal energy, electrical energy, and electrochemical energy) complementary.

Techno-Environ-Economical Analysis of Floating PV/On-Ground PV/Grid Extension Systems for Electrification of a Remote Area in India

Remote area electrification is a major concern for a government of any developing nation. India is also working for it but despite continuous efforts towards remote area electrification, several thousand households in India are un-electrified. Several schemes have been launched by Government for electrification of such areas through grid extension but still many areas have not been covered under the proposed schemes due to economic, environmental and geographical reasons. Narayanpur district in Chhattisgarh state of India has un-electrified regions and various issues like poor literacy, untreated water facility and lack of access to communication networks. In order to find viable option of electricity supply to this region, a case study has been performed for the feasibility of off-grid floating photovoltaic (PV) system, on-ground PV system and grid extension along with their comparative analysis with respect to certain parameters i.e. net present value (NPV), cost of energy (CoE), environment cleanliness and social acceptance. Floating PV and on-ground PV systems have been designed and simulated using System Adviser Model (SAM) software developed by National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), USA. The results show that floating PV system has lowest CoE of $0.0598/kWh and least negative NPV of $185,431 as compared to other two options. However, it is found that floating PV system achieves positive NPV of $38,968 in 28th year of project life.

The Effect of Blades Gap on Propeller Openflume Picohydro Turbine Performance

To meet the target of using renewable energy and electrification in remote areas, Indonesia needs to develop pico hydropower plants. One of the picohydro turbines that can be used is the propeller openflume turbine. To obtain the optimum performance, a numerical study of the effect of the gap between blades was carried out. This study analyzes 3 different blades by using the computational fluid dynamics method. The difference between the three blades is the gap between the blades. The first blade is designed with gaps, the second blade is without gaps, and the third blade is designed with overlap gaps. Based on the numerical results, it is shown that the gap on blades of propeller openflume turbine affects the performance of turbine with the overlap turbine has a better performance than the gap and no-gap blade. The overlap blades generate 9.48 Watts power and 8.8% efficiency at 202 rpm.

Techno-Economic Analysis of a Stand-Alone Hybrid System: Application in Donoussa Island, Greece

Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (HRES) are an attractive solution for the supply of electricity in remote areas like islands and communities where grid extension is difficult. Hybrid systems combine renewable energy sources with conventional units and battery storage in order to provide energy in an off-grid or on-grid system. The purpose of this study is to examine the techno-economical feasibility and viability of a hybrid system in Donoussa island, Greece, in different scenarios. A techno-economic analysis was conducted for a hybrid renewable energy system in three scenarios with different percentages of adoption rate (20%, 50% and 100%)and with different system configurations. Using HOMER Pro software the optimal system configuration between the feasible configurations of each scenario was selected, based on lowest Net Present Cost (NPC), minimum Excess Electricity percentage, and Levelized Cost of Energy (LCoE). The results obtained by the simulation could offer some operational references for a practical hybrid system in Donoussa island. The simulation results confirm the application of a hybrid system with 0% of Excess Electricity, reasonable NPC and LCoE and a decent amount of renewable integration.

An artificial intelligence approach to optimization of an off-grid hybrid wind/hydrogen system

Off-grid electrification of remote areas using a hybrid renewable energy scheme is a requirement to achieve the goals of sustainable development. However, the optimization and sizing for the capacity of such systems are challenging. In this regard, this study targets an improved optimization algorithm with high efficiency for optimization and long-term capacity planning of an off-grid hybrid renewable energy scheme composed of wind, fuel cell, and hydrogen storage schemes. The suggested methods are three improved versions of the global dynamic harmony search to do pitch adjustment mechanism. The objective function of this study is to reduce the total net annual cost of the system and the loss of power supply probability to a minimum. The performance of this hybrid system is examined via a simulation study, which had been performed on a remote area located in eastern Iran over a long period. The results of the three improved proposed algorithms are compared with the original global dynamic harmony search algorithm. Also, sensitivity analysis is proposed to showcase the influence of uncertainties on the system and input parameters on the algorithm. The simulation results indicate that three improved versions of the global dynamic harmony search algorithm find more promising results than the original algorithm, and confirm the superior accuracy, convergence speed, and robustness of the global dynamic harmony search-II. Also, reliability level and iteration values have a considerable impact on the total net annual cost of the optimal hybrid energy system based on wind and hydrogen energy.

Optimal model of a hybrid electrical system photovoltaic panel /wind turbine/battery bank, considering the feasibility of implementation in isolated areas

Currently thousands of people around the world lack access to electricity in remote areas, the demand for energy in these areas can be effectively supplied by renewable sources, hybrid photovoltaic-wind systems attract attention due to the reduction of implementation costs in In recent years and a high reliability in the supply, the optimal model of the system is considered an influencing variable in the optimal size of the system as it is defined according to the conditions of the problem or study area. The article presents a series of simulations to find the feasibility of the implementation of the isolated system, the economic technical parameters are analyzed to obtain the lowest cost of energy to be considered competitive, the levelized cost of energy is directly related to the cost optimum of each one of the sources, which leads to a considerable increase in the introduction of this type of hybrid systems and the disenchantment of using generators based on fossil fuels.

A development of an Arduino pure sine wave inverter for a small scale off-grid solar PV system

This paper presents the implementation of Arduino Nano microcontroller for a single-phase pure sine wave inverter, which can convert DC voltage to AC voltage at high efficiency and low cost. Solar-powered electricity generation is being favored nowadays as the world increasingly focuses on environmental concerns. The designed inverter converted DC voltage into AC voltage for a small-scale off-grid solar PV system suitable for electrification in remote areas, pollution-free, and inexpensive. Its inverter uses a sinusoidal pulse width modulation technique and a simple circuit, consisting of only 2 MOSFET switches and 1 MOSFET driver. The H-bridge inverter’s output is applied to a step-up transformer with a dual coil input and a single-coil output, and hence, we can create positive and negative sides of the wave. Mitigate a voltage noise; a capacitor is parallelly installed at the secondary side of the transformer. Several simulations are performed to verify the effectiveness of the designed inverter using Proteus software, and continued hardware implementation. Based on some experiments we have done, the designed inverter produces a 230 V r.m.s 50 Hz sine wave with very low harmonics distortion. The highest efficiency was obtained using 2200nF / 400V of the filter capacitor, and the smallest voltage regulation gained using 2200nF / 400V of the filter capacitor when compared with other capacitors. The proposed system is economical, efficient, and reliable and can be used for small scale power applications.

Analysis of renewable energy implementation in remote areas of Indonesia: study review

Indonesia is the largest archipelago with 17,503 islands where 6000 populated islands and most of the islands are remote areas. This condition causes limited access to energy supplies such as electricity and fuel. Meanwhile, Indonesia has a variety of natural resources including renewable energy sources that have not been applied optimally. It is expected that the utilization of local renewable energy sources can guarantee the availability of electricity in remote areas so that it can support national development and security. To optimize renewable energy in remote areas, the government made Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Regulation 38/2016 concerning the acceleration of electrification in undeveloped, remote, bordered, and small-populated rural areas through the implementation of small scale electricity supply businesses. To analyses the regulation and other supports, the SWOT method is used to know the impact of the regulation in the remote area. Coordination is needed between the Central Government and the Regional Governments. Also, control and evaluation of existing policies are required so that people in remote areas can get access to electricity optimally.

Small scale hybrid power generation for remote area electrification

Javan Langur Centre (JLC) is a facility dedicated to the treatment of langur, an endangered primate species. To support the maintenance and rehabilitation activities, the need for electrical energy is a vital. In this facility, electrical energy is needed for lighting and baby primate’s incubator with a total power of around 120 watts. There is no electricity grid included in this area and the supply of electrical energy is still very dependent on the gen-set owned by the residents which is located approximately 2 km from JLC, making it less efficient. In terms of natural energy resources, JLC has the availability of water sources that originate from small streams making it possible to develop pico-hydro technology. There has been built a pico-hydro power generation with a potential electric power that can be generated approximately 300 watts. However, the water discharge of the river stream in that area is quite low, around 0.00035 m3/s, that makes the efficiency of the power generation is 10% only. In other words, the actual electrical power that can be generated is around 30 watts. So as to meet the electrical power needs at JLC, another electrical energy source is needed. One alternative is to install solar cells or photo voltaic (PV) with a capacity of 100 watts peak. The output power of these two energy sources can be combined and regulated by applying Hybrid Power Generation technology. With the application of this technology, the need for electrical energy in the JLC area can be met.

A DC Microgrid System for Powering Remote Areas

DC microgrid has been gaining popularity as solution as a more efficient and simpler power system especially for remote areas, where the main grid has yet to be built. This paper proposes a DC microgrid system based on renewable energy sources that employs decentralized control and without communication between one grid point and another. It can be deployed as an individual isolated unit or to form an expandable DC microgrid through DC bus for better reliability and efficiency. The key element of the proposed system is the power conditioner system (PCS) that works as an interface between energy sources, storage system, and load. PCS consists of modular power electronics devices and a power management unit, which controls power delivery to the AC load and the grid as well as the storage system charging and discharging sequence. Prototypes with 3 kWp solar PV and 13.8 kWh energy storage were developed and adopt a pole-mounted structure for ease of transportation and installation that are important in remote areas. This paper presents measurement results under several conditions of the developed prototypes. The evaluation shows promising results and a solid basis for electrification in remote areas.

Impact of the temperature on calendar aging of an open cathode fuel cell stack

This paper deals with calendar aging of a proton exchange membrane open-cathode fuel cell. Calendar aging is already developed for energy sources as supercapacitor and batteries but the literature is very poor for fuel cell stacks. However, this kind of test is necessary to determine the actual lifetime of the system without running it and to define the aging impact of the storage of such a system. One possible outcome for fuel cells is to provide electricity in remote areas without connection to the grid. This issue becomes even more challenging under hard environmental conditions, especially in areas with possible negative ambient temperatures. Experimental research on the degradation of open cathode fuel cells under these tricky conditions is needed to investigate the impact of resting states on the fuel cell lifetime and to evaluate the impact of the sub-zero temperatures on the performance losses.

Coupling Adjacent Microgrids and Cluster Formation Under a Look-Ahead Approach Reassuring Optimal Operation and Satisfactory Voltage and Frequency

Microgrids (MGs) are promising approaches to proliferate distributed energy resources for electrification in remote areas. However, to deal with the uncertainties of renewables and energy demand, special measures are required. Energy storages, controllable loads and reconfigurable networks are some of those measures that improve MGs' flexibility. Another alternative is temporarily coupling the adjacent MGs to support each other and form coupled MGs (CMGs). This paper proposes a look-ahead technique to form CMGs while reassuring the optimal performance of all MGs. Preserving the voltage and frequency of each MG is also another key objective. The proposed optimization approach tries to solve the voltage/frequency problem by forming the CMGs when the local actions (such as energy storages) are inadequate or cost-ineffective. The proposed technique considers the operational cost, technical and environmental aspects, reliability and losses in the CMG formation. This technique is general and can be used for complex topologies and also to form multiple CMGs if deemed more suitable. The performance of the developed technique is validated through extensive numerical analyses in MATLAB.

Performance analysis of a two-stage travelling-wave thermo-acoustic engine using Artificial Neural Network

Thermo-acoustic systems can convert thermal energy into acoustic waves and vice-versa. This conversion is due to the thermo-viscous interaction between the acoustically oscillating gas fluid within a porous medium, referred to as a regenerator, and the pore internal walls. The thermo-acoustic approach is proposed in this study as an alternative sustainable solution for addressing the issue of electricity in remote areas of developing countries. This approach is environmentally friendly as it utilises air as the working medium and therefore does not generate harmful emissions. In this study, a two-stage travelling-wave thermo-acoustic engine has been modelled using DeltaEC. The simulation was performed by considering various input heat for both of the engine stages. The heat input for the first stage was set within the range of 359.48 to 455.75W, while in the second stage was within the range of 1307.99 to 1656.35W. Hundred (100) data were generated. This dataset was used to build an Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model. The ANN model was validated using the data extracted from DeltaEC. A good agreement between DeltaEC simulation results and ANN predictions was observed. This study shows that the ANN approach is capable of analysing intricate nonlinear thermoacoustic issues.

Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis through Optimization Strategies and Load Shifting in Isolated Hybrid Microgrids with Renewable Energy for the Non-Interconnected Zone (NIZ) of Colombia

In developing countries, electrification in remote areas, where access to energy is limited or null, has been one of the biggest challenges in recent years. Isolated microgrids with renewable generation are an efficient alternative for the energy supply in these areas. The objective of this work was to analyse the techno-economic viability of 6 isolated microgrids in different locations in the non-interconnected zone of Colombia, considering different climatic conditions, the availability of renewable resources, the current consumption profile, and a modified profile applying demand-side management. Modelling and simulation were performed considering storage systems based on lithium and lead-acid batteries. The resulting simulations provide the optimal system cost, emissions levels, electricity cost and battery lifetime. This study demonstrates that isolated hybrid microgrids with renewable energy are a feasible alternative to solve access to energy problems, reducing the need for diesel generators and optimizing the use of renewable energies and battery-based storage systems.