Designing and Optimization of Stand-alone Hybrid Renewable Energy System for Rural Areas of Punjab, Pakistan

Abstract

Increasing energy demand accompanied by diminishing of natural resources is the prime reason behind the growing popularity of renewable energy resources. Hence to develop a power system model for sustainable and efficient power deliverance is inevitable. To serve the purpose, we proposed in this paper a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) that consists of run-off canal micro hydro/PV/wind integrated with a diesel generator. Main purpose is the electrification of remote areas of province Punjab, Pakistan. The authors selected the BS link canal-I located at 300 52’ N and 730 55’ E in Punjab, Pakistan, for the proposed HRES. Beforehand, load and resource profile of selected site was evaluated to present an economically optimized model of the proposed energy system. Moreover, Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) was used as an optimization tool to perform techno-economic feasibility of the micro hydro/PV/wind energy system to entertain the evaluated load of the location. Mainly three strategies are employed due to scarcity of hydro resources and based on the availability of the energy resources. First strategy suggests to use diesel generator integrated with solar and wind power systems, HOMER declares this strategy most expensive with total Net Present Cost (NPC) of $ 670,121 and Cost of Energy (COE) of $ 0.0936/kWh. The recovery period of the hybrid energy system under this strategy is 13 years. The second strategy focuses on the water management strategy using 100 % renewable energy. NPC diminishes to $ 479,835 and the COE reduces to $ 0.0670/kWh. The system recovers all the incurred cost in 5.5 years. The last one enacts renewable energy systems with capacity shortage scheme. NPC and the COE reduces to $ 284,877 and $ 0.0437/kWh respectively from the previously discussed strategy. The system recovers all the incurred cost in 1.7 years. Based on the NPC, the COE and the minimum payback period, HOMER executes the optimization analysis on all the proposed strategies and found 1^st strategy to be the least feasible and 3^rd strategy the most feasible respectively.