Optimal sizing and technical analysis of rural electrification alternatives in Kerman province

Abstract

Although non-renewable resources of energy and fossil fuels are coming to end in the next decades, but in recent years, consumption of fossil fuels in some modern or developing countries has been increased. Consumption of fossil fuels has increased the density of greenhouse gases in atmosphere, which encounters the world with irreversible changes. In order to decrease the unwanted environmental effects of fossil fuel consumption a worldwide trend has begun towards the use of renewable energy resources. In this paper, Optimization of structure and final hybrid system cost are investigated in order to meet the electricity demand of Meymand village, located in Iran. To find the optimum hybrid system, HOMER software is employed. The hybrid system consists of wind turbine, solar panels and diesel generator as main generating resources in addition to battery as energy storage system. The considered lifetime is assumed to be 25 years, and not only technical issues but also environmental and economic issues are investigated. According to the simulation results, the net percent cost (NPC) of the proposed hybrid system is equal to $37180, and levelized cost of energy (COE) is equal to 0.2 $/kWh. The technical, environmental and economic evaluations show that satisfaction of demand of Meymand village is more advantageous by hybrid system rather than the traditional one.