Technical-economic comparison of microgrids for rural communities in the island region of Galapagos, Ecuador: Isabela Island case

Abstract

The use of microgrids is becoming increasingly widespread, as they can be implemented independently of location and according to the energy resource available in each area. They also provide a reliable, efficient and clean supply of electricity. In the Galapagos island region of Ecuador, there are several sources of energy resources, many of which are not used for the benefit of the communities. This study uses a load profile of a community of 50 families (300 people) that includes children, youth, adults and elderly. Three types of hybrid systems: Wind/PV, Biomass/PV, Biomass/Wind, are proposed to cover the electricity needs, which are modeled with HOMER Pro software. The results indicate that microgrid systems are feasible to implement, as they are shown to be capable of supplying electricity to entire communities. In addition, the microgrid system with the lowest net present cost (NPC) is Wind/PV with 75 k$, but the cost of energy (COE) is the highest at 1.41 $/kWh. In contrast, the Biomass/PV microgrid system has an NPC of 382.71 k$ and a COE of 0.49 $/kWh. Therefore, the system to be implemented will depend on the energy needs of the area.