Title: Potential and feasibility study of standalone solar PV/wind/biogas and biodiesel hybrid electric supply system in Ethiopia

Authors: Demsew Mitiku Teferra

Addresses: School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Addis Ababa Institute of Technology, AAiT, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract: The main focus of this study is renewable energy resource assessment and feasibility study to generate electricity for the rural community from solar PV, wind turbine, biogas and biodiesel generator. To model and analyse the feasibility of the hybrid system HOMER was chosen. Grid comparison against the hybrid system was done for cost benefit analysis. The optimisation result of the simulation demonstrates that the best optimal hybrid system consists of solar photo voltaic, wind turbine, biogas generator, biodiesel generator, converter and battery under load following system control strategy. This system has initial capital cost of $335,468, net present cost of $837,915, levelised cost of energy of $0.239/kWh. The total capital cost of grid extension was determined as $147,752, and its operation and maintenance cost is 267$/km/yr.

Keywords: break even distance; hybrid system; load forecast; primary load; feasibility study; potential study.

DOI: 10.1504/IJETP.2017.085393

International Journal of Energy Technology and Policy, 2017 Vol.13 No.4, pp.368 - 377

Received: 28 Apr 2016
Accepted: 26 Nov 2016
Published online: 25 Jul 2017 *

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