Hybrid (solar and wind) energy system for Al Hallaniyat Island electrification

Wind–PV–diesel hybrid power generation system technology is a promising energy option since it provides opportunities for developed and developing countries to harness naturally available, inexhaustible and pollution-less resources. The aim of this study is to assess the techno-economic feasibility of utilizing a hybrid wind–PV–diesel power system to meet the load of Al Hallaniyat Island. Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables software has been employed to carry out the present study. The simulation results indicate that the cost of generating energy (COE) is $0.222 kWh^?1 for a hybrid system composed of a 70 kW PV system, 60 kW wind turbine and batteries together with a 324.8 kW diesel system. Moreover, using the same system but without batteries will increase the COE to $0.225 kWh^?1, the fuel consumption, the excess energy and the total operating hours for the diesel generators. The PV–wind hybrid option is techno-economically viable for rural electrification.     

Performance analysis of hybrid photovoltaic/diesel energy system under Malaysian conditions

Standalone diesel generating system utilized in remote areas has long been practiced in Malaysia. Due to highly fluctuating diesel price, such a system is seemed to be uneconomical, especially in the long run if the supply of electricity for rural areas solely depends on such diesel generating system. This paper would analyze the potential use of hybrid photovoltaic (PV)/diesel energy system in remote locations. National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s (NREL) HOMER software was used to perform the techno-economic feasibility of hybrid PV/diesel energy system. The investigation demonstrated the impact of PV penetration and battery storage on energy production, cost of energy and number of operational hours of diesel generators for the given hybrid configurations. Emphasis has also been placed on percentage fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions of different hybrid systems. At the end of this paper, suitability of utilizing hybrid PV/diesel energy system over standalone diesel system would be discussed mainly based on different solar irradiances and diesel prices.     

Review of research on autonomous wind farms and solar parks and their feasibility for commercial loads in hot regions

In the wake of rising cost of oil and fears of its exhaustion coupled with increased pollution, the governments world-wide are deliberating and making huge strides to promote renewable energy sources such as solar–photovoltaic (solar–PV) and wind energy. Integration of diesel systems with hybrid wind–PV systems is pursued widely to reduce dependence on fossil-fuel produced energy and to reduce the release of carbon gases that cause global climate change. Literature indicates that commercial/residential buildings in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) consume an estimated 10–40% of the total electric energy generated. The study reviews research work carried out world-wide on wind farms and solar parks. The work also analyzes wind speed and solar radiation data of East-Coast (Dhahran), KSA, to assess the technical and economic potential of wind farm and solar PV park (hybrid wind–PV–diesel power systems) to meet the load requirements of a typical commercial building (with annual electrical energy demand of 620,000 kWh). The monthly average wind speeds range from 3.3 to 5.6 m/s. The monthly average daily solar global radiation ranges from 3.61 to 7.96 kWh/m². The hybrid systems simulated consist of different combinations of 100 kW wind machines, PV panels, supplemented by diesel generators. NREL (and HOMER Energy's) HOMER software has been used to perform the techno-economic study. The simulation results indicate that for a hybrid system comprising of 100 kW wind capacity (37 m hub-height) and 40 kW of PV capacity together with 175 kW diesel system, the renewable energy fraction (with 0% annual capacity shortage) is 36% (24% wind + 12% PV). The cost of generating energy (COE, $/kWh) from this hybrid wind–PV–diesel system has been found to be 0.154 $/kWh (assuming diesel fuel price of 0.1$/L). The study exhibits that for a given hybrid configuration, the number of operational hours of diesel generators decreases with increase in wind farm and PV capacity. Attention has also been focused on wind/PV penetration, un-met load, excess electricity generation, percentage fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions (relative to diesel-only situation) of different hybrid systems, cost break-down of wind–PV–diesel systems, COE of different hybrid systems, etc.     

Optimal configuration assessment of renewable energy in Malaysia

This paper proposes the use of a PV–wind–diesel generator hybrid system in order to determine the optimal configuration of renewable energy in Malaysia and to compare the production cost of solar and wind power with its annual yield relevant to different regions in Malaysia namely, Johor, Sarawak, Penang and Selangor. The configuration of optimal hybrid system is selected based on the best components and sizing with appropriate operating strategy to provide a cheap, efficient, reliable and cost-effective system. The various renewable energy sources and their applicability in terms of cost and performance are analyzed. Moreover, the annual yield and cost of energy production of solar and wind energy are evaluated. The Simulations were carried out using the HOMER program based on data obtained from the Malaysian Meteorological Centre. Results show that, for Malaysia, a PV–diesel generator hybrid system is the most suitable solution in terms of economic performance and pollution. However, the cost of production of solar and wind energy proved to be cheaper and more environmentally friendly than the energy produced from diesel generators.     

PV hybrid systems for rural electrification in Thailand

Photovoltaic (PV) hybrid systems can make a positive contribution to the sustainability of rural communities in developing countries that do not have access to electricity grid. Integration of solar photovoltaic system with diesel generator for remote and rural areas would assist in expanding the electricity access in the tropical region. A survey of PV hybrid system in Thailand during the last decade regarding to status of technology, performance in terms of technical and economic aspects, and their prospects has been presented in this paper.     

Multi-objective assessment of rural electrification in remote areas with poverty considerations

Rural electrification with renewable energy technologies (RETs) offers several benefits to remote areas where diesel generation is unsuitable due to fuel supply constraints. Such benefits include environmental and social aspects, which are linked to energy access and poverty reduction in less-favored areas of developing countries. In this case, multi-objective methods are suitable tools for planning in rural areas. In this study, assessment of rural electrification with renewable energy systems is conducted by means of goal programming towards fuel substitution. The approach showed that, in the Non-Interconnected Zones of Colombia, substitution of traditional biomass with an electrification scheme using renewable energy sources provides significant environmental benefits, measured as land use and avoided emissions, as well as higher employment generation rates than diesel generation schemes. Nevertheless, fuel substitution is constrained by the elevated cost of electricity compared to traditional biomass, which raises households’ energy expenditures between twofold to five times higher values. The present approach, yet wide in scope, is still limited for quantifying the impact of energy access improvements on poverty reduction, as well as for the assessment of energy system's technical feasibility.     

Microhydro-PV-hybrid system: Sizing a small hydro-PV-hybrid system for rural electrification in developing countries

In most countries of equatorial Africa, it is difficult to satisfy power demand all year long by hydro sources alone. In some remote areas, where this is the case, a judicious combination of other renewable sources to form a hybrid system can help solve rural electrification problems. One of these combinations is the use of PV together with a diesel and batteries. We highlight the use of an optimization model to size such a system in a village in Cameroon.     

Field analysis of solar PV-based collective systems for rural electrification

This article analyses the long-term performance of collective off-grid photovoltaic (PV) systems in rural areas. The use of collective PV systems for the electrification of small medium-size villages in developing countries has increased in the recent years. They are basically set up as stand-alone installations (diesel hybrid or pure PV) with no connection with other electrical grids. Their particular conditions (isolated) and usual installation places (far from commercial/industrial centers) require an autonomous and reliable technology. Different but related factors affect their performance and the energy supply; some of them are strictly technical but others depend on external issues like the solar energy resource and users’ energy and power consumption. The work presented is based on field operation of twelve collective PV installations supplying the electricity to off-grid villages located in the province of Jujuy, Argentina. Five of them have PV generators as unique power source while other seven include the support of diesel groups. Load demand evolution, energy productivity and fuel consumption are analyzed. Besides, energy generation strategies (PV/diesel) are also discussed.     

Alternatives to grid extension for rural electrification: Decentralized renewable energy technologies in Vietnam

This paper examines the economic viability of stand-alone, household-sized renewable energy technologies, namely wind generator and solar PV for application in remote and rural areas of Vietnam. Three reference technologies are chosen. These are two solar PV systems of 130 and 100 Wp for solar conditions in the North and the South, respectively, and one 150 W wind turbine. It is found for all regions that levelized costs of PV energy are lower than the cost of energy from gasoline gen-set, and are cost-competitive with grid extension, especially for areas with low load density and low number of households to be electrified. Regarding wind energy, the viability is dependent on the location due to the wide variation of wind resource to topography. However, in locations with proper resources, wind energy is even more cost-competitive than solar PV. Thus, the use of either wind generator or solar PV is economically feasible in rural villages and remote areas of Vietnam. Policy recommendations for promoting the market development of renewable energy technologies are discussed in the final section of the paper.     

An overview of the environmental,economic, and material developments of the solar and wind sources coupled with the energy storage systems

There is a constant growth in energy consumption and consequently energy generation around the world. During the recent decades, renewable energy sources took heed of scientists and policy makers as a remedy for substituting traditional sources. Wind and photovoltaic (PV) are the least reliable sources because of their dependence on wind speed and irradiance and therefore their intermittent nature. Energy storage systems are usually coupled with these sources to increase the reliability of the hybrid system. Environmental effects are one of the biggest concerns associated with the renewable energy sources. This study summarizes the last and most important environmental and economic analysis of a grid‐connected hybrid network consisting of wind turbine, PV panels, and energy storage systems. Focusing on environmental aspects, this paper reviews land efficiency, shaded analysis of wind turbines and PV panels, greenhouse gas emission, wastes of wind turbine and PV panels' components, fossil fuel consumption, wildlife, sensitive ecosystems, health benefits, and so on. A cost analysis of the energy generated by a hybrid system has been discussed. Furthermore, this study reviews the latest technologies for materials that have been used for solar PV manufacturing. This paper can help to make a right decision considering all aspects of installing a hybrid system. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Performance analysis of various hybrid renewable energy systems using battery,hydrogen, and pumped hydro‐based storage units

The aim of this research is to analyze the techno‐economic performance of hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) using batteries, pumped hydro‐based, and hydrogen‐based storage units at Sharurah, Saudi Arabia. The simulations and optimization process are carried out for nine HRES scenarios to determine the optimum sizes of components for each scenario. The optimal sizing of components for each HRES scenario is determined based on the net present cost (NPC) optimization criterion. All of the nine optimized HRES scenarios are then evaluated based on NPC, levelized cost of energy, payback period, CO₂ emissions, excess electricity, and renewable energy fraction. The simulation results show that the photovoltaic (PV)‐diesel‐battery scenario is economically the most viable system with the NPC of US$2.70 million and levelized cost of energy of US$0.178/kWh. Conversely, PV‐diesel‐fuel cell system is proved to be economically the least feasible system. Moreover, the wind‐diesel‐fuel cell is the most economical scenario in the hydrogen‐based storage category. PV‐wind‐diesel‐pumped hydro scenario has the highest renewable energy fraction of 89.8%. PV‐wind‐diesel‐pumped hydro scenario is the most environment‐friendly system, with an 89% reduction in CO₂ emissions compared with the base‐case diesel only scenario. Overall, the systems with battery and pumped hydro storage options have shown better techno‐economic performance compared with the systems with hydrogen‐based storage.     

Optimal sizing study of hybrid wind/PV/diesel power generation unit

In this paper, a methodology of sizing optimization of a stand-alone hybrid wind/PV/diesel energy system is presented. This approach makes use of a deterministic algorithm to suggest, among a list of commercially available system devices, the optimal number and type of units ensuring that the total cost of the system is minimized while guaranteeing the availability of the energy. The collection of 6 months of data of wind speed, solar radiation and ambient temperature recorded for every hour of the day were used. The mathematical modeling of the main elements of the hybrid wind/PV/diesel system is exposed showing the more relevant sizing variables. A deterministic algorithm is used to minimize the total cost of the system while guaranteeing the satisfaction of the load demand. A comparison between the total cost of the hybrid wind/PV/diesel energy system with batteries and the hybrid wind/PV/diesel energy system without batteries is presented.The reached results demonstrate the practical utility of the used sizing methodology and show the influence of the battery storage on the total cost of the hybrid system.     

Assessment of economic viability for PV/wind/diesel hybrid energy system in southern Peninsular Malaysia

This paper analyzed the potential implementation of hybrid photovoltaic (PV)/wind turbine/diesel system in southern city of Malaysia, Johor Bahru. HOMER (hybrid optimization model for electric renewable) simulation software was used to determine the technical feasibility of the system and to perform the economical analysis of the system. There were seven different system configurations, namely stand-alone diesel system, hybrid PV–diesel system with and without battery storage element, hybrid wind–diesel system with and without battery storageelement, PV–wind–diesel system with and without storage element, will be studied and analyzed. The simulations will be focused on the net present costs, cost of energy, excess electricity produced and the reduction of CO₂ emission for the given hybrid configurations. At the end of this paper, PV–diesel system with battery storage element, PV–wind–diesel system with battery storage element and the stand-alone diesel system were analyzed based on high price of diesel.     

Grid electrification challenges, photovoltaic electrification progress and energy sustainability in Lesotho

Lesotho's energy profile is characterized by a predominance of traditional biomass energy to meet the energy needs of the rural households and a heavy dependence on imported petroleum for the modern economic sector needs. As a result, the country faces challenges related to unsustainable use of traditional forms of biomass and exposure to high and unstable oil import prices. There are relatively abundant renewable energy resources in the form of hydro, solar and wind. The average daily solar radiation in Lesotho varies between 4.5 and 6.5 kWh/m², with some areas in the South West averaging over 7 kWh/m²/day. Under the UNDP/GEF-supported Lesotho Renewable Energy-Based Rural Electrification (LREBRE) Project, a total of 5000 solar home systems (SHS) will be installed by 2012. Since the start of the project, a total of 1537 SHS with a capacity of 65 W have been installed, and an estimated 500 SHS have also been independently installed as a result of the project's influence. This paper examines the role of PV technologies in the sustainable development process, with particular reference to UNDP/GEF-LREBRE Lesotho PV project, and the extent to which this project is impacting on the PV industry. The paper also analyses national grid electrification and energy provision in rural areas and shows that the problem of rural electrification could be tackled by conventional and non-conventional means.     

Optimised model for community-based hybrid energy system

Hybrid energy system is an excellent solution for electrification of remote rural areas where the grid extension is difficult and not economical. Such system incorporates a combination of one or several renewable energy sources such as solar photovoltaic, wind energy, micro-hydro and may be conventional generators for backup. This paper discusses different system components of hybrid energy system and develops a general model to find an optimal combination of energy components for a typical rural community minimizing the life cycle cost.The developed model will help in sizing hybrid energy system hardware and in selecting the operating options. Micro-hydro-wind systems are found to be the optimal combination for the electrification of the rural villages in Western Ghats (Kerala) India, based on the case study. The optimal operation shows a unit cost of Rs. 6.5/kW h with the selected hybrid energy system with 100% renewable energy contribution eliminating the need for conventional diesel generator.     

Optimisation and techno-economic feasibility analysis of hybrid (photovoltaic/wind/fuel cell) energy systems in Kerman,Iran; considering the effects of electrical load and energy storage technology

A hybrid (photovoltaic, PV/wind/fuel cell, FC) system comprising different combinations of PV arrays, wind turbine, hydrogen tank, electrolyser, and FC has been investigated for stand-alone applications. Load demand was the electrical requirements of atypical residential apartment having a total area of 500 m² with a peak electrical load of 35 kW and a yearly load of 24.4 MWh in Kerman, Iran. The assessment criterion for the analysis was levellised cost of energy of each system configuration. National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable software was utilised as the assessment tool of the present study. The effect of electrical load profile on the optimisation results has also been investigated considering a demand load profile with a low peak of 12 kW. Also, a comparison was made between the hybrid (PV/wind/diesel/bat) systems and the hybrid (PV/wind/FC) system of the current study at different fuel price scenarios.     

Village electrification technologies—an evaluation of photovoltaic cells and compact fluorescent lamps and their applicability in rural villages based on a Tanzanian case study

Electrification of remote sites in developing countries is often realised trough diesel generator sets and an electric distribution network. This was also the technology used in the village Urambo, where the first rural electrification co-operative in Tanzania was started in 1994. Climate change however calls for decreased fossil fuel combustion worldwide and new technologies have been further developed since the erection of the diesel generator sets in Urambo. It is therefore not obvious that electrification of other rural areas shall follow the Urambo example.In this article, the situation for 250 electricity consumers in Urambo will be demonstrated and the implications for them of introducing new technologies will be evaluated. Technology options regarded in the study are individual photovoltaic (PV) power systems and either incandescent lamps, tube lights or compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) supplied by diesel generation. The different options have been evaluated with respect to consumer costs and environmental impact.The results of the comparison show that PV generation is able to compete with diesel generation if combined with incandescent lamps, but not when tube lights or CFLs are used in the conventional supply system. It should be noted, however, that while the diesel option offer financially more attractive solutions, individual PV systems do not result in any CO₂ emissions. Furthermore, PV systems normally have a higher reliability. However, since the diesel option is not only cheaper but also offers a wider range of energy services and facilitates, future connection to the national electric grid, the conclusion is that this is preferable before individual PV systems for communities similar to Urambo, if the consumers shall pay the full cost of the service.     

Performance evaluation of hybrid (wind/solar/diesel) power systems

Depleting oil and gas reserves, combined with the growing concerns of global warming, have made it inevitable to seek alternative/renewable energy sources. The integration of renewables such as solar and wind energy is becoming increasingly attractive and is being used widely, for substitution of oil-produced energy, and eventually to minimize atmospheric degradation. The literature shows that commercial/residential buildings in Saudi Arabia consume an estimated 10–40% of the total electric energy generated. In the present investigation, hourly wind-speed and solar radiation measurements made at the solar radiation and meteorological monitoring station, Dhahran (26°32′ N, 50°13′ E), Saudi Arabia, have been analyzed to investigate the feasibility of using hybrid (wind+solar+diesel) energy conversion systems at Dhahran to meet the energy needs of twenty 2-bedroom houses. The monthly average wind speeds for Dhahran range from 4.1 to 6.4 m/s. The monthly average daily values of solar radiation for Dhahran range from 3.6 kWh/m² to 7.96 kWh/m². The performance of hybrid systems consisting of different rated power wind farms, photovoltaic (PV) areas, and storage capacities together with a diesel back-up are presented. The monthly average daily energy generated from the above hybrid system configuration has been presented. The deficit energy generated from the back-up diesel generator and the number of operational hours of the diesel system to meet a specific annual electrical energy demand of 702,358 kWh have also been presented.     

Techno-economic evaluation of off-grid hybrid photovoltaic–diesel–battery power systems for rural electrification in Saudi Arabia—A way forward for sustainable development

The burning of depleting fossil fuels for power generation has detrimental impact on human life and climate. In view of this, renewable solar energy sources are being increasingly exploited to meet the energy needs. Moreover, solar photovoltaic (PV)–diesel hybrid system technology promises lot of opportunities in remote areas which are far from utility grid and are driven by diesel generators. Integration of PV systems with the diesel plants is being disseminated worldwide to reduce diesel fuel consumption and to minimize atmospheric pollution. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (K.S.A.) being endowed with high intensity of solar radiation, is a prospective candidate for deployment of PV systems. Also, K.S.A. has large number of remote scattered villages. The aim of this study is to analyze solar radiation data of Rafha, K.S.A., to assess the techno-economic feasibility of hybrid PV–diesel–battery power systems to meet the load requirements of a typical remote village Rawdhat Bin Habbas (RBH) with annual electrical energy demand of 15,943 MWh. Rafha is located near RBH. The monthly average daily global solar radiation ranges from 3.04 to 7.3 kWh/m². NREL's HOMER software has been used to perform the techno-economic evaluation. The simulation results indicate that for a hybrid system composed of 2.5 MWp capacity PV system together with 4.5 MW diesel system (three 1.5 MW units) and a battery storage of 1 h of autonomy (equivalent to 1 h of average load), the PV penetration is 27%. The cost of generating energy (COE, US$/kWh) from the above hybrid system has been found to be 0.170$/kWh (assuming diesel fuel price of 0.1$/l). The study exhibits that the operational hours of diesel generators decrease with increase in PV capacity. The investigation also examines the effect of PV/battery penetration on COE, operational hours of diesel gensets. Concurrently, emphasis has been placed on: un-met load, excess electricity generation, percentage fuel savings and reduction in carbon emissions (for different scenarios such as: PV–diesel without storage, PV–diesel with storage, as compared to diesel-only situation), COE of different hybrid systems, etc. The decrease in carbon emissions by using the above hybrid system is about 24% as compared to the diesel-only scenario.     

Comparative study of artificial intelligence techniques for sizing of a hydrogen-based stand-alone photovoltaic/wind hybrid system

As non-polluting reliable energy sources, stand-alone photovoltaic/wind/fuel cell (PV/wind/FC) hybrid systems are being studied from various aspects in recent years. In such systems, optimum sizing is the main issue for having a cost-effective system. This paper evaluates the performance of different artificial intelligence (AI) techniques for optimum sizing of a PV/wind/FC hybrid system to continuously satisfy the load demand with the minimal total annual cost. For this aim, the sizing problem is formulated and four well-known heuristic algorithms, namely, particle swarm optimization (PSO), tabu search (TS), simulated annealing (SA), and harmony search (HS), are applied to the system and the results are compared in terms of the total annual cost. It can be seen that not only average results produced by PSO are more promising than those of the other algorithms but also PSO has the most robustness. As another investigation, the sizing is also performed for a PV/wind/battery hybrid system and the results are compared with those of the PV/wind/FC system.