Resilient Photovoltaic-Battery Systems for Urban Households in Grid-Interrupted Environments: A Baghdad Case Study

Abstract

Since 1991 to the present, both metropolitan districts and rural communities in Iraq have been reliant on gasoline or diesel generators to make up for the lack of grid energy. The combination of Photovoltaic (PV) and Battery Storage systems (BSS) as energy sources is widespread in the global energy industry. This case study is based on actual monthly electricity consumption statistics over 1 year for a home in the Al-Latifiya district, south of Baghdad, Iraq, to install a roof PV system instead of a Diesel Generator (DG) to compensate for the interruption of the public grid. Using computer modeling and simulation with the HOMER software, an optimal power generation system was designed. Two modeling scenarios were conducted, one for DG and the grid and the other for PV/BSS and the grid. Based on simulation findings, the PV/BSS and grid systems have been determined to be a technically and economically viable solution for mitigating DG and implementing this alternative power generation at a fair cost. The proposed system can meet the demand side with a penetration level of 60.4% and a PV energy share of 48.4%, resulting in a reduction in electricity bills to $108.58/year and a lower COE ($0.0772/kWh) than the current system (grid and diesel generator) ($0.0.126/kWh). The proposed system also achieved an annual emissions reduction of 5279 kg of CO₂ per year due to displacing the fuel consumption of diesel generators and reducing the energy use of the public grid by 31%.