Design and feasibility study of a biomass/diesel/PV/battery microgrid system for an off-grid application

The acceptance of renewable energy technologies (RETs) has increased tremendously owing to government policies, sustainable energy development programs and agenda of most independent power providers (IPPs) and private individuals around the world. The potential of RETs can be utilized by the utilities to meet the energy needs of over 1.1 billion people on the global note that do not have access to electrical power supply. As a result of the persistent load growth, it is imperative to plan how RETs can be strategically structured to achieve the optimal operation in the deregulated power sector. The design and planning of RETs in the open market scheme require the technical, environmental and economic analyses of the power system to be implemented. The performance assessment of the power system is carried out in this research work with the application of the HOMER application tool as a measure to optimize the key performance indicators of a microgrid system (MGS) and promote the utilization of RETs for power solutions. A renewable energy-based MGS proposed in the study consists of biogas generator, diesel generator (DG), photovoltaic (PV), battery system (BS) and electrical loads. The system is designed for rural electrification project and to satisfy the load demands of a rural community in accordance to the sustainable energy goals and policies of many international organizations.