Autonomous Electricity Supply with Hybrid Renewable Configuration in Ghana

Majority of the rural population in developing countries depends on traditional fuels. An estimated 20% world’s population does not have access to electricity. Most of those people live in areas often difficult to connect to electrical grids. Renewable energy technologies might be lower cost options in such areas, where both population and electricity demand are low. The main objective of this study was to develop a reliable and cost competitive autonomous energy supply system with renewable energy resources. As a reference site, a University campus in northern Ghana was chosen. A tool for load profile assessment is developed. Resulting load profiles under different scenario are presented. Available renewable energy resources is estimated. Based on these results, a hybrid system has been sized and is later validated in HOMER Pro®. Results show an autonomous hybrid system configuration with 185 kWp PV, 73 kWh battery and three biodiesel (Jatropha based) generators (165 kVA, 110 kVA and 34 kVA) as optimum to supply the electricity need. Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) was calculated as 28 €ct/kWh, 2 % lower than the grid electricity price. Sensitivity analysis showed the imputed interest rate, fuel price and investment costs have the most impact on LCOE.