Solar Micro Research Articles

Experiment and dynamic simulation of micro gas turbine combined with concentrated solar power system

The solar micro gas turbine (SMGT) system is a promising solution to address the instability and intermittency of renewable energy sources. Its dynamic characteristics under unstable input conditions and uncertain output load demands are crucial for peak shaving. This paper constructs an SMGT system based on experiments with micro gas turbine (MGT) and concentrated solar power (CSP), analyzing the impact of integrating CSP system on the MGT. Then the performance of the SMGT under varying ambient conditions and load demands is studied. Results show that in grid-connected mode, the turbine speed of MGT and SMGT is determined by ambient temperature and set power, with electrical efficiency decreasing as temperature and DNI increase. The solar receiver in the SMGT should maximize temperature increase while maintaining pressure loss below 55 kPa. Additionally, a higher heat capacity can reduce sensitivity to ambient changes but also extends stabilization time. Under real solar radiation, the SMGT system can keep constant power within 0.6% fluctuation, with a solar share of 36.5%. When combined with photovoltaic, the hybrid system’s maximum power fluctuation does not exceed 2.6%, with a solar share of 48.8%. This study provides guidance for optimizing SMGT systems and their application in peak shaving scenarios.

Annual performance evaluation of a hybrid concentrated solar–micro gas turbine based on off-design simulation

As the adoption of solar hybrid systems continues to rise due to their potential to compensate for the fluctuation of solar irradiation, it becomes imperative to accurately evaluate their performance, considering the variation of off-design conditions. This paper introduces a detailed analysis method for evaluating the annual performance of a solar-MGT system under transient boundary conditions for a whole-year operation range. A hybrid system of a micro gas turbine, recuperator, and solar dish is considered, and an off-design simulation model is developed and verified with available experimental results. Two different configurations for a recuperated cycle are considered, and simulations are conducted for a test case in Pretoria, SA. The results for Jun.21 and Dec.21 as low and high solar energy days are reported with more details to compare the configurations and demonstrate the effect of ambient temperature on the heat loss of the solar receiver and the overall performance of the system. The alternative configuration reduces heat loss with a lower temperature receiver but has higher fuel consumption compared to the conventional configuration. Operating strategies for different hours of operation from 1 h to 24 h per day are simulated for 365 days, based on real meteorological data, and compared with the operating in solar available hours. It is shown that the whole-year simulation of the system considering the variation of boundary conditions can change the estimation of fuel consumption by 25 %.

The Characteristics of Hybrid Solar Micro Gas-Turbine Power Plants Operating at Partial Loads

The Characteristics of Hybrid Solar Micro Gas-Turbine Power Plants Operating at Partial Loads

Innovative desalination system driven by a solar micro gas turbine for off-grid applications

Past work by the authors has suggested that Solar micro Gas Turbines (SmGTs) can be used cost-effectively to produce electric power and heat for freshwater production through desalination, mainly in off-grid locations. This is further studied in this work, providing an exhaustive modelling procedure and methodology. Additionally, a comprehensive analysis of system performance under both design and part-load conditions is provided along with the complete set of characteristics of the components of the SmGT and the desalination unit. To this end, the SmGT is assessed first, incorporating innovative solutions that enable better off-design performance: Variable Inlet Guide Vanes (VIGVs) in the compressor and Variable Nozzle Guide Vanes (VNGVs) in the turbine. The implementation of these features brings significant advantages in part-load operation, leading to a considerable increase in solar-to-electric efficiency and rangeability, particularly under certain ambient conditions; in particular, using these features yields 5% higher efficiency at the minimum load of the original engine (without variable geometry) and, from this load setting downwards, 15% lower minimum stable load is enabled. Furthermore, a sensitivity analysis to control strategies and ambient conditions has been included, exploring their impact on system performance.The water treatment system is comprised of two elements. A Reverse Osmosis (RO) desalination unit is driven by the electric power produced by the SmGT. Considering the emphasis on flexibility and part-load operation enhancement addressed in this work, a moderate recovery rate is proposed for this unit. The RO unit produces brine with high salt concentration to be partially treated further in a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) unit driven by the exhaust gases of the microturbine (at about 250–300 °C), where the sensible heat of this stream is harvested by the ZLD unit to “dry” and concentrate the effluent. Finally, the potential and the operational limitations of the ZLD system are discussed, complemented with results from an experimental proof of concept where the feasibility of the concept is verified.

Review and Demonstration of the Potential of Bitcoin Mining as a Productive Use of Energy (PUE) to Aid Equitable Investment in Solar Micro- and Mini-Grids Worldwide

Despite the climate commitments made by countries in the Paris Climate Agreement adopted in 2015 and reinforced during COP 21 and with notably less success during COP 22, world carbon emissions increased in both 2021 and 2022. It is increasingly unlikely that the world will achieve the targeted 50% carbon reduction by 2030, the reduction approximately needed for reducing global temperature rise since the beginning of the Industrial Revolution to less than 1.5 deg. C. At the same time, there remain nearly 2 billion people in the world who have no or highly unreliable access to power. In developed countries, access to both clean energy and energy efficiency investment in residences within low to moderate income communities has also lagged. This paper provides a review of the “Productive Use of Energy (PUE)”, which is a means to add value to solar energy mini- and micro-grids to ensure investment worthiness and add more value to the communities being served. In this context, it posits an opportunity to leverage Bitcoin mining as a common PUE strategy applicable to new solar installations. Several actual pilot cases are described to demonstrate this potential throughout the world and at multiple scales. These include: (i) existing micro-grids with significant stranded energy to generate income that could be used to reduce the cost per kWh for the community; (ii) new solar micro-grids optimized to meet community load and mining operations; (iii) dedicated solar-powered Bitcoin mining mini-grids developed solely to create a funding stream for self-investment by communities for their benefit; and (iv) a low-income residential solar-powered Bitcoin miner to reduce the energy cost burden for residents. Several of these scenarios show significant potential to aid investment worthiness.

Sun CubE OnE: A multi-wavelength synoptic solar micro satellite

The Sun cubE onE (SEE) is a 12U CubeSat mission proposed for a phase A/B study to the Italian Space Agency that will investigate Gamma and X-ray fluxes and ultraviolet (UV) solar emission to support studies in Sun-Earth interaction and Space Weather from LEO. More in detail, SEE’s primary goals are to measure the flares emission from soft-X to Gamma ray energy range and to monitor the solar activity in the Fraunhofer Mg II doublet at 280 nm, taking advantage of a full disk imager payload. The Gamma and X-ray fluxes will be studied with unprecedented temporal resolution and with a multi-wavelength approach thanks to the combined use of silicon photodiode and silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) -based detectors. The flare spectrum will be explored from the keV to the MeV range of energies by the same payload, and with a cadence up to 10 kHz and with single-photon detection capabilities to unveil the sources of the solar flares. The energy range covers the same bands used by GOES satellites, which are the standard bands for flare magnitude definition. At the same time SiPM detectors combined with scintillators allow to cover the non-thermal bremsstrahlung emission in the gamma energy range. Given its UV imaging capabilities, SEE will be a key space asset to support detailed studies on solar activity, especially in relation to ultraviolet radiation which strongly interacts with the upper layers of the Earth’s atmosphere, and in relation to space safety, included in the field of human space exploration. The main goal for the UV payload is to study the evolution of the solar UV emission in the Mg II band at two different time scales: yearly variations along the solar cycle and transient variations during flare events. The Mg II index is commonly used as a proxy of the solar activity in the Sun-as-a-star paradigm, in which solar irradiance variations in the UV correlate with the variations in stratospheric ozone concentrations and other physical parameters of the Earth high atmosphere. SEE data will be used together with space and ground-based observatories that provide Solar data (e.g. Solar Orbiter, IRIS, GONG, TSST), high energy particle fluxes (e.g. GOES, MAXI, CSES) and geomagnetic data in a multi-instrument/multi-wavelength/multi-messenger approach.

Renewable Energy-Driven Desalination: New Trends and Future Prospects of Small Capacity Systems

New trends and future prospects for small capacity systems of Renewable Energy-driven DESalination (REDES) are reviewed and assessed in this paper over a nominal desalination capacity range of 3–1000 m3/d. A thorough literature review is reported in order to evaluate current research and developing activities. Outstanding commercial prospects in the near future are identified for two off-grid REDES technologies under development. First, wave energy converters with direct coupling to seawater desalination. Second, solar micro gas turbines with biofuel backup coupled to reverse osmosis (RO) desalination and/or zero liquid discharge water treatment. These systems, as well as mature REDES plants (namely PV/RO and wind turbines/RO), will benefit from forthcoming advances in energy efficiency in the RO process itself. The Closed Circuit RO desalination (CCROTM) concept may be a key configuration for enhancing RE-driven RO desalination. Additionally, opportunities for innovation in seawater RO desalination with variable power consumption are highlighted. On the other hand, our conclusions highlight opportunities for developing novel portable REDES systems based on solar membrane distillation with a portable linear Fresnel concentrator manufactured by SOLATOM. Additionally, the concept of portable systems could foster the commercial development of microbial desalination cells combined with solar PV energy and RO powered by tidal currents.

Market Opportunities of Water Treatments Powered by Solar Micro Gas Turbines: Chile and Ecuador Case Studies

Throughout the last decades the developments on desalination field have been focused on energy consumption and costs reduction. However, water recovery and brine disposal are becoming a matter of concern to desalination industry. In this work, a Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) unit coupled with a Solar Micro Gas Turbine (SMGT) system is presented to address, among others, the challenges of mining industry in remote areas, in particular, fossil fuel dependence, water availability and pollution derived from effluents disposal. As a way to assess the feasibility of the proposal, a techno-economic analysis of the application in two Southern American regions (Chile and Ecuador) of photovoltaic modules, wind turbines and Solar Micro Gas Turbines is performed. Afterwards, the main novel feature of the new system—i.e., the ZLD unit—is described and a sensitivity analysis on its functioning whilst coupled with the SMGT is carried out. The aim is to propose a preliminary design of the ZLD process. The selection of the optimal ratio between exhaust gases and brine mass flow rates is analyzed, as well as variation in inlet salinity and temperatures. Furthermore, the water which could be recovered from effluents, at the same time that the heat of exhaust gases from SMGT is harvested, is quantified. Lastly, according to the results obtained, a preliminary design of a 10 kWe rated power SMGT system, coupled to Reverse Osmosis (RO) and ZLD units, is proposed.

Hierarchical Power Scheduling Algorithm and Energy Management System in a Smart Solar Micro Grid

Abstract: In recent years, as the development of the modern technologies in information, communication, control and computing, our living environment is becoming ”smart.” Smart Home and Smart City have gradually become part of our lives, and are no longer merely future concepts for the public. Microgrids have been set up to try and bring electricity to people even living in remote and rural areas. Even though different techniques have been applied to solve this problem, nevertheless there seems to be scarcity in deep exploration of local and indigenous solar power generation and weather data unique to the African context while dealing with this issue. In this dissertation, an optimal configuration algorithm for sharing energy resources in a microgrid using data collected from a microgrid located in Nigeria has been developed. The microgrid was divided into three (3) blocks (containing different offices) with different load distribution. The system was analyzed to determine the degree of deviation of the supplied power from the load demand. Results showed that in one of the blocks, the developed system showed a 89.2% improvement in the amount of surplus energy generated by the system. Simulation results also showed that the conventional system suffered the worst draw down during peak load demands. The battery SoC in block A went below the acceptable 30% threshold, while at that instance the SoC for the developed system in this work was about 57%. The developed worked showed about 27% improvement on the existing system even at peak load periods. Simulation results showed that as at 100 seconds, the error percentage of the existing design spiked to 7% while that of the developed algorithm was tending to zero. The system response when switching between different scenarios was also examined, and it was discovered that the developed algorithm responded to the switch in just 80mS. Keywords: Microgrid, Solar PV, ELDI, Scheduling algorithm, Energy Management

A solar micro gas turbine system combined with steam injection and ORC bottoming cycle

Micro gas turbine (MGT) is an important section in solar-driven power systems, as it can improve system efficiency and provide unique flexibility to meet quickly changing demands. Herein, a solar micro gas turbine (MGT) combined with steam injection and organic Rankine cycle (ORC) is proposed to improve efficiency and flexibility. A steam receiver that produces the steam injected into the MGT is placed around the air receiver aperture to increase the receiver intercept efficiency. A thermodynamic model including a heliostat field, a solar receiver, an MGT and an ORC is developed to investigate the performance of the proposed system, where each sub-model is validated with experimental/referenced data for the subsequence optimization of design and operating parameters. For a 100 kW MGT driven by a solar heliostat field, the simulation results show that the optimized aperture diameter of the air receiver is 1.1 m. On four typical days of a year, i.e. the spring equinox, the summer solstice, the autumn equinox, and the winter solstice, the average optical efficiency of the heliostat field is 0.672, 0.754, 0.672 and 0.597, respectively. Fuel consumption of the MGT during the four days is reduced by 14.8%, 24.6%, 22.4% and 3.7%, respectively. The solar energy share can reach up to 86.0% with a system power efficiency of 19.9% at 12:30 of the autumn equinox. By adding steam injection and ORC, the power output can be increased by 8.29 kW and 30.37 kW, respectively, bringing an increase of the total power output by 37.7% and improving the system efficiency and flexibility. The proposed system can benefit the distributed energy systems especially for remote areas or islands as a flexible option.

Thermodynamic modelling and real-time control strategies of solar micro gas turbine system with thermochemical energy storage

Distributed solar gas turbine systems with thermal energy storage are expected to overcome the intermittence and instability of solar irradiance and produce reliable and flexible electricity for remote districts and islands. Here, a mathematical model is developed for a 10 kWe solar micro gas turbine (MGT) system with thermochemical energy storage (TCES) to study the system thermodynamic characteristics at real-world direct normal irradiation (DNI) variations. Real-time control strategies aiming for stable operation and set point tracing are proposed and implemented in transient simulations to analyze the control effect against both short- and long-term DNI disturbances based on system dynamics. Results show that, by regulating the output power, rotational speed (N) is kept constant, and system responses are smoothened (e.g., less than 5.8% fluctuation of the mass flow rate). Power regulation also enables a constant turbine outlet temperature (TOT) and the optimal overall performance (e.g., output power and total efficiency exceeding 14 kWe and 14%, respectively). By combining power and bypass regulations, N and TOT can simultaneously remain constant while outputting a stable power of 12.6 kWe ±5% under 750–820 W/m2, with a sharp drop to 500 W/m2. For favorable weather, N-TOT simultaneous control can guarantee the high and stable system performance. If massive clouds appear, constant TOT operation is more advantageous during peak load demand for larger electricity generation, while constant N operation is preferable during low power demand for smoother turbine operation.Furthermore, the addition of TCES smoothens the performance variation and prolongs the generation duration. TCES also allows constant TOT operation to store up to 32% more energy than constant N and output 18–28 kWh more energy during daytime operation, thanks to the higher operating temperature. Overall, the proposed real-time control methods reduce the dependency on fossil fuel combustion and contribute to the stable, safe, and efficient operation of a distributed high-percentage-solar-share MGT system.

Design Smart Solar Inverter using e-waste with IOT control

Today is the age of evolution of technology; Innovation will be the key to success in this era of rapid technological advancement and adoption in every area. But matter is that how to make efficient to conventional technology or to make it advance such technology. In present scenario global environmental and energy problems, high expectations exist for solar power generation directly result in to reduce carbon dioxide generation by the primary use of fossil fuels. On the other hand domestic power consumption demand arising day to day. Our aim is to demonstrate solar energy to design smart solar inverter to utilize scrap e-waste. E-waste production is increasing day by day with least solution to reuse it for other purposes. E-waste can be a heavy part of future problems. The inverter is made by the help of most of e-waste material. This 500W solar micro inverter consists of three portion: the MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracker) the DC-to-AC step-up converter and the AC-DC Inverter sections. In this paper, the attachment of hi-tech application (Data Acquisition System) using ESP8266/32 & sensor which helps to monitor temperature, battery position & light position to protect overall system environmental-friendly. Environmental friendly term hype for which the paper and the device totally support it, with equal importance. At the end, the inverter made up of e-waste but also with the application of IOT (Internet of things) can help to control the inverter from anywhere and regulate our safety concerns.

Modelling of solar micro gas turbine for parabolic dish based controller application

Dish-Stirling unit and photovoltaic panels are the premier technologies available to generate off-grid solar energy. The major issue for both systems is in terms of producing output power. Air-Brayton cycle was utilized asan engine by converting the thermal energy to electricity. Micro gas turbine (MGT) has been recognized as one of the viable alternatives compared to Stirling engines, where it represents a state-of-art parabolic dish engine specifically in turbine gas technology. Hence, the microgas turbine is a technology that is capable of controlling low carbon while providing electricity in off-grid regions. MGT uses any gas as its input like natural gas, bio gas and others. Micro gas turbine has advantages for its high expansion ratio and less moving components. Compared to competing for diesel generators, the electricity costs from hybrid solar units were reduced between 10% and 43%, where as specific CO2 emissions reduced by 20-35%. MGT provides advantages over photovoltaic systems such as the inherent ability to hybridize the systems with hydrocarbon fuels to produce electricity around the clock, and the ability to operate more effectively in very hot climates with photovoltaic performance degradation over the life time of the system. Hybrid solar micro gas-turbines are cost-effective, eco-friendly and pollution free as they can work by burning any gas like natural gas,landfill gasa and others.This paper presented the controls contained in the MGT-dish system consisted of temperature control, fuel flow control, speed and acceleration control. Aconceptual design of the 25kW MGT-dish system was also covered.

Smart energy harvesting performance of photovoltaic roof assemblies in Canadian climate

ABSTRACT In Canada, the solar electricity sector is growing rapidly. Much of this success is based on the growth of the Ontario solar market where more than 99% of Canada’s solar electricity is generated. Ontario has developed a globally recognized solar market sector. The vast surface area of existing residential roofs across Canada represents an untapped resource for capitalizing on passive and active management of impinging solar insolation. The aim of the current research study is to evaluate the new energy harvesting technologies such as a thin-film PV integrated roof system that could serve as a conventional roofing for weather protection while generating clean solar electricity, and the new generation micro inverters that have the potential to outperform string inverters under shading and snow-cover conditions. This paper has two parts that will discuss about two smart energy harvesting technologies and their performance on residential applications in Canadian climate. Part 1 of the paper focusses on field evaluation of Roof Integrated Photovoltaic (RIPV) and Part 2 talks about the energy yield performance of integrated solar tiles and new generation micro inverters. The RIPV field trial took place at the Canadian Centre for Housing Technology (CCHT) Info Centre in Ottawa, Canada. This is a novel approach adapted from a roofing system that would typically be found on low-sloped roofs such as commercial supermarkets, industrial warehouses and school buildings. Over the eight month study period, surmounting the effects of snow cover and shadows, the RIPV system generated over 1 MWh of electricity, and had a measured system efficiency of 5.3%. The study on the new generation micro inverters for residential applications addressed the shading effects on the intermittent nature of solar energy generation. Simulating the shading conditions that are experienced by typical residential rooftop, the micro inverters were found to increase production by 1–68% relative to the conventional string inverters. The research outcome of this study has demonstrated that both these energy harvesting technologies have important incremental benefits in increasing the renewables contribution to power generation in residential homes in Canadian climatic conditions.

Technical and economic analyses of a combined cooling, heating and power system based on a hybrid microturbine (solar-gas) for a residential building

One of the ways to increase the efficiency of energy conversion and reduce the generation of pollutants in the building sector is using combined cooling, heating and power (CCHP) systems. These systems have different types of prime movers such as micro gas turbine (MGT). In this study, a novel CCHP system based on the prime mover of hybrid solar micro turbine have been simulated and the annual performance of the cycle, in actual conditions has been evaluated for a residential building in Iran. By adding solar receiver to available micro gas turbines, solar energy can provide part of the required cycle heat. The components of this cycle include: micro gas turbine, solar dishes (parabolic dishes), solar receiver, absorption chiller, auxiliary boiler, and heat recovery steam generator. The effects of changing the number of micro turbines and the area of the parabolic dishes have been studied on system performance. Also, the levelized cost of electricity (LCoE) is calculated in different prices and the best scenario is proposed. Additionally, the appropriate economic conditions are introduced and some of their technical specifications are evaluated. Ultimately, the LCoE produced by this cycle is compared to that for the photovoltaic systems.

Solar Desalination Based on Micro Gas Turbines Driven by Parabolic Dish Collectors

Abstract This paper presents the preliminary design and techno-economic assessment of an innovative solar system for the simultaneous production of water and electricity at small scale, based on the combination of a solar micro gas turbine (mGT) and a bottoming desalination unit. To assess this system, a design model is developed to select the main design parameters for two different desalination technologies, reverse osmosis (RO), and multi-effect distillation (MED), aiming to exploit the available electricity and waste heat from the turbine, respectively. The results show that, from a thermodynamic standpoint, it is possible to exceed 65% solar energy utilization if both electricity and waste heat are used to produce fresh water. Nevertheless, the better thermodynamic performance of the fully integrated system does not translate into a more economical production of water. Indeed, the cost of water turns out lower when coupling the solar microturbine and reverse osmosis units only (between 3 and 3.5 €/m3), while making further use of the available waste heat in a multi-effect distillation system rises the cost of water by 15%.

Parametric study and efficiency optimization of the solar coupled hybrid micro gas turbine power plant for high altitude flight.

The performance and feasibility study of a hybrid system designed by combining solar micro gas turbine for power generation process during high altitude flight were explored. The high altitude flight could be defined as long duration stratosphere balloon. Payloads in this high altitude balloon flight could be remote sensing satellites or communication satellites which require a continuous high-density power supply that cannot be provided by solar panels. To reduce greenhouse gas emission, the hybrid method was chosen and studied for its effectiveness in a gas turbine power plant. A thermodynamic cycle analysis for high altitude gas turbine power generator was analyzed along with various power conversion systems and recuperator placement configurations were investigated. The working parameters such as Overall Pressure Ratio and Turbine inlet temperature was investigated with the thermo gas dynamic calculation for designing an optimized power plant. Parametric optimization for determining the realistic and practical combination of recuperators for improving the specific fuel consumption and overall efficiency of the Micro gas turbine power plant was performed. The recuperators could be positioned either in the exhaust of a high-pressure turbine or at the exhaust of the free turbine. The recuperator position and heat extraction are explored and the resulting data depicts the recuperator surface area increases the effectiveness thus the fuel consumption decreases but the recuperator increases the overall mass and volume of the power plant size. A comprisable trade-off was made between the recuperator performance and its size and the results are optimized for high overall efficiency of the power plant. A short trade-off between the selected system and existing systems were made. The system performance, Efficiency optimization and the component size and weight characteristics were performed to deliver maximum payload capabilities.

Thermoeconomic analysis and optimization of a solar micro CCHP by using TLBO algorithm for domestic application

ABSTRACTIn the present study, a micro solar Combined Cooling, Heating and Power (CCHP) system based on Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) is thermodynamically and exergoeconomically investigated. Adding a storage tank will lead to the sustainable supply of energy for summer and winter seasons. The model of conservation of energy, conservation of mass, and conservation of linear momentum are applied in order to energy analysis, while a model based on the first and the second laws of thermodynamics are used to exergy analysis. Determining the effective parameters of the system efficiency, including turbine input pressure, turbine inlet temperature, turbine output pressure, and evaporator temperature leads to improve and optimize the system performance. The Teaching–Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO), for the first time in this paper, is employed for both single-objective and multi-objective optimizations of the system for three working fluids (R123, R134a, and R245fa). The accuracy of the proposed model is validated by data presented in three different papers. For the summer season, the values of the energy efficiency, exergy efficiency, and cost rate for R123 working fluid are calculated as 24.81%, 9.94%, and 5383$/year, respectively. The implementation of the multi-objective optimization using TLBO for R123 working fluid improves 27.85% thermal efficiency, 27.66% exergy efficiency and reduces 9.90% of the system cost rate.

Energy management using battery intervention power supply integrated with single phase solar roof top installations

In India, battery storage and time based tariff are yet to be introduced in solar micro grid tied inverters. Here, the authors propose an improved multi-stage converter topology intended for single phase solar roof top applications with battery storage. It works in six modes depending on solar-load-battery-grid profiles. The whole strategy is implemented in a battery intervention power supply that uses energy storage integrated with the solar generator that helps in smoothing of power, load shifting, load dispatch and load angle control. Notably, load dispatch decision is arrived based on several independent parameters that take different values at a time. A Boolean equation is derived relating the different parameters so as to arrive at a single decision. This is achieved by a variable entity k-map. A voltage control is also implemented that is done by load angle control of the inverter current. A novel MPPT scheme is also detailed that reduces oscillations in PV voltage during steady state and dynamic behavior of environmental conditions. Simulation studies are conducted to analyse the performance of the system using improved power management using k-map, modified MPPT algorithm and steady state and dynamic conditions of atmosphere under varying load-solar-grid profiles. The performance is validated by testing a prototype laboratory model that shows that the system works with acceptable limits of reactive compensation in the range of 95–99% with good grid stability through battery support.

Optimum sizing of a stand-alone hybrid energy system for rural electrification in Bangladesh

This study investigates the potential application of hybridized energy system (i.e., PV/Wind/Diesel) with battery storage in the northern region of Bangladesh. A techno-economic feasibility of different system configurations is evaluated and an optimized system is selected using HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable) software. The hybrid system is optimized to meet a remote stand-alone village community’s load demand of 242.56 kWh/day with a 51.52 kW peak load demand. The result of this study indicates that the optimized hybrid system consists of 73 kW PV arrays, a 57 kW Diesel generator, a 387 kWh nominal capacity battery bank, and 28 kW inverters have the minimum Cost of Energy (COE) of 0.37$/kWh and the Net Present Cost (NPC) of $357,284. The outcome also indicates that the optimized system reduces CO2 emission by around 62% in comparison with the kerosene used in a current situation and 67% with the grid connected system. Furthermore, the Life Cycle Emissions-LCE (kg CO2-eq/yr) production is considerably lower in PV/Batt/ICE system than the other system configurations. However, this system has a lower Duty Factor (DF) compared to Wind/Batt/Diesel and Batt/Diesel based system. Although this system is not comparable with the grid tariff, the proposed method is economically feasible than solar micro utility system, Wind/Batt/Diesel system, and Diesel generator only system. Additionally, the article discusses the social and economic benefits of implementing the hybridized system along with their barriers and challenges.