Sustainable microgrid system for Easter Island with the least cost and GHG emission-free approach

The prime focus of this research work is to design a microgrid hybrid system that is suitable for remote locations to supply power with less greenhouse gas (GHG) emission. This research focuses on electrifying remote locations with renewable energies with reduced GHG emission. Easter Island is more than 3500 km from the mainland and relies entirely on diesel generators for electricity. The diesel generator emits more emissions for supplying power to Easter Island, which will affect the environment. The alternative solution is identified by implementing renewable sources such as solar, wind, and tidal power in Easter Island. The sensitivity and optimization results are performed for Easter Island using HOMER software. The monthly average solar irradiation and wind speed are downloaded from the NREL database. The original load power for Easter Island is considered in this research work to determine the suitable power sources with less GHG emission. The results show that the solar/DG/tidal mix is suitable for Easter Island, with life cycle cost and energy cost at $22,816,140 and $0.147, respectively. The results also show that the GHG emission is 93.53% less when comparing the solar/DG/tidal hybrid system with the system consisting of a diesel generator alone. The result of the sensitivity analysis illustrates that there is an impact on varying maximum limits on CO₂ emission, solar cell temperature, solar temperature coefficient of power, discount rate, and inflation rate. The change in load demand and solar degradation for multiple-year variations is also analyzed.