Search Results (20)

In the face of a significant power crisis, Bangladesh is turning towards renewable energy solutions, a move supported by the government’s initiatives. This article presents the findings of a study conducted in a residential area of Pabna, Bangladesh, using HOMER (Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources) Pro software version 3.14.2. The study investigates the feasibility and efficiency of a grid-connected hybrid power system, combining photovoltaics (PV), a biomass generator, and wind energy. The simulation produced six competing solutions, each featuring a distinct combination of energy sources. Among the configurations analyzed, the grid-connected PV–biomass generator system emerged as the most cost-effective, exhibiting the lowest COE at USD 0.0232, a total net present cost (NPC) of USD 321,798.00, and an annual operating cost of USD 6060.59. The system presents a simple payback period of 9.25 years, highlighting its economic viability. Moreover, this hybrid model significantly reduces CO₂ emissions to 78,721 kg/year, compared to the 257,093 kg/year emissions from a solely grid-connected system, highlighting its environmental benefits. Sensitivity analyses further reveal that the system’s performance is highly dependent on solar irradiance, indicating that slight variations in solar input can significantly impact the system’s output. This study underscores the potential of integrating multiple renewable energy sources to address the power crisis in Bangladesh, offering a sustainable and economically viable solution while also mitigating environmental impacts. Full article

To avert climate change, there has been a rise in the usage of green energy sources that are also beneficial to the environment. To generate sustainable energy in a financially and technically efficient manner, our research attempts to close the gaps. The potential of green sources like photovoltaic (PV) and biomass for a rural community southwest of Sohag Al Gadida City, Sohag, Egypt, is examined in this research considering its techno-economic (TE) and eco-friendly feasibility. The HOMER Pro v3.14 package is used as a scaling and optimization instrument, to calculate the price of the PV/biomass setup and the size and characteristics of its parts. This is to estimate the corresponding electrical production and reduce the total annual cost for the customer. The suggested system structure is validated through the presentation of simulation outcomes and evaluations utilizing MATLAB/SIMULINK R2022a. In addition, a TE-environmental investigation of the optimized PV/biomass structure is performed. The optimum structure is carefully chosen from the best four configurations using the demand predilection by analogy to the perfect technique based on the generation cost, operation cost, energy production, and renewable fraction. The results also indicate that using hybrid PV/biomass is an attractive choice with the initial capital cost (ICC: USD 8.144), net present cost (NPC: USD 11,026), a low cost of energy (LCOE: 0.184 USD/kWh), and the high renewable fraction (RF: 99.9%) of the system. The annual CO₂ emission performance of a PV/biomass system is much better than that of the grid alone and PV/diesel. This method might be applied in rural areas in other developing countries. Full article

Quantifying the co-benefits of renewable energy investments can aid policymakers in identifying technologies capable of generating significant social, economic, and environmental benefits to effectively offset mitigation costs. Although there has been a growing body of work evaluating co-benefits, few studies have compared the potential co-benefits of several technologies across different regions in key countries. This study fills this gap by formulating a new modeling structure to assess the environmental–health–economic co-benefits of hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) in different parts of Indonesia. The proposed model is unique in that it incorporates various techno-economic activities to assess air quality, health, and economic benefits and then presents results as part of a cost–benefit analysis. From the intervention scenario, the modeling results show that installing 0.5 GW grid-connected solar PV, 100 MW of wind turbines, and a 100 MW biomass generator to cover a total of 1.64 million residential load units in the Bali province can avoid GHGs, PM_2.5, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), and provide health savings of 1.73 Mt/y, 289.02 t/y, 1648, and 6.16 million USD/y, respectively. In addition, it shows that the payback period is enhanced by one year, while the net present value is increased by 28%. In Jakarta, a 3 GW solar PV plant and a 100 MW biomass generator that supply 5.8 million residential load units can deliver 32,490 averted DALYs and 652.81 million USD/y of health care savings. Nationally, the contribution of renewable energy to the electricity supply mix could grow from the 2020 baseline of 18.85% to 26.93%, reducing dependence on oil and coal contribution by 5.32%. Full article

The need for energy is always increasing as civilization evolves. Renewable energy sources are crucial for meeting energy demands as conventional fuel resources are slowly running out. Researchers are working to extract the most amount of power possible from renewable resources. Numerous resources are in demand, including solar, wind, biomass, tidal, and geothermal resources. Solar energy outperformed all the aforementioned resources in terms of efficiency, cleanliness, and pollution freeness. Intermittency, however, is the resource’s main shortcoming. Maximum power point tracking algorithm (MPPT) integration is required for the system to achieve continuous optimum power by overcoming the feature of intermittency. However, generating electrical energy from solar energy has presented a significant problem in ensuring the output power’s quality within a reasonable range. Total harmonic distortion (THD), a phenomenon, may have an impact on the power quality. Depending on the properties of the load, variables like power factor, voltage sag/swell, frequency, and unbalancing may occur. The quality of power and its criterion exhibits a non-linear connection. The article’s primary objective is to analyze the PV interface grid-linked system’s qualitative and quantitative performance. With respect to varying solar irradiation conditions, partial shading conditions, and solar power quality within the acceptable dimension, a novel intelligent multiple-objective horse herd optimization (HHO)-based adaptive fractional order PID (HHO-AFOPID) controller is used to achieve this goal. Adaptive fractional order PID (AFOPID), conventional FOPID, and PID controllers were used to evaluate the performance of the suggested controller, which was then validated using a commercially available PV panel in MATLAB/Simulink by varying the productivity of non-conventional resources, the inverter’s level of uncertainty, and the potential at the grid’s end. In order to realize the features of the system, sensitivity examination is also carried out for solar energy’s sensitive parameters. The stability analysis of the proposed control topology is also carried out in terms of the integral absolute error (IAE) and integral time absolute error (ITAE). The examination of the sensitivity of variations in solar radiation in kilowatt per square meter per day is based on the total net present cost (TNPC) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE), as optimal dimension and energy cost are both aspects of priority. The suggested control methodology is an approach for the qualitative and quantitative performance analysis of a PV interface grid-oriented system. Full article

Recently, renewable energy resources (RESs) have been utilized to supply electricity to remote areas, instead of the conventional methods of electrical energy production. In this paper, the optimal design of a standalone hybrid RES comprising photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), and biomass sources as well as an energy storage system, such as a hydro-pumped storage system, is studied. The problem of the optimal sizing of the generating units in the proposed energy system is formulated as an optimization problem and the algorithms heap-based optimizer (HBO), grey wolf optimizer (GWO), and particle swarm optimization (PSO) are applied to achieve the optimal sizing of each component of the proposed grid-independent hybrid system. The optimization problem is formulated depending on the real-time meteorological data of the Ataka region on the Red Sea in Egypt. The main goal of the optimization process is to minimize the cost of energy (COE) and the loss of power supply probability (LPSP), while satisfying the constraints of system operation. The results clarify that the HBO algorithm succeeded in obtaining the best design for the selected RE system with the minimum COE of 0.2750 USD/kWh and a net present cost (NPC) of USD 8,055,051. So, the HBO algorithm has the most promising performance over the GWO algorithm in addressing this optimization problem. Full article

Recent advances in electric grid technology have led to sustainable, modern, decentralized, bidirectional microgrids (MGs). The MGs can support energy storage, renewable energy sources (RESs), power electronics converters, and energy management systems. The MG system is less costly and creates less CO₂ than traditional power systems, which have significant operational and fuel expenses. In this paper, the proposed hybrid MG adopts renewable energies, including solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines (WT), biomass gasifiers (biogasifier), batteries’ storage energies, and a backup diesel generator. The energy management system of the adopted MG resources is intended to satisfy the load demand of Basra, a city in southern Iraq, considering the city’s real climate and demand data. For optimal sizing of the proposed MG components, a meta-heuristic optimization algorithm (Hybrid Grey Wolf with Cuckoo Search Optimization (GWCSO)) is applied. The simulation results are compared with those achieved using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO), Genetic Algorithms (GA), Grey Wolf Optimization (GWO), Cuckoo Search Optimization (CSO), and Antlion Optimization (ALO) to evaluate the optimal sizing results with minimum costs. Since the adopted GWCSO has the lowest deviation, it is more robust than the other algorithms, and their optimal number of component units, annual cost, and Levelized Cost Of Energy (LCOE) are superior to the other ones. According to the optimal annual analysis, LCOE is 0.1192 and the overall system will cost about USD 2.6918 billion. Full article

The heterogeneous network (HetNet) is a specified cellular platform to tackle the rapidly growing anticipated data traffic. From a communications perspective, data loads can be mapped to energy loads that are generally placed on the operator networks. Meanwhile, renewable energy-aided networks offer to curtailed fossil fuel consumption, so to reduce the environmental pollution. This paper proposes a renewable energy based power supply architecture for the off-grid HetNet using a novel energy sharing model. Solar photovoltaics (PV) along with sufficient energy storage devices are used for each macro, micro, pico, or femto base station (BS). Additionally, a biomass generator (BG) is used for macro and micro BSs. The collocated macro and micro BSs are connected through end-to-end resistive lines. A novel-weighted proportional-fair resource-scheduling algorithm with sleep mechanisms is proposed for non-real time (NRT) applications by trading-off the power consumption and communication delays. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm with an extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) and power saving mode (PSM) for narrowband internet of things (IoT) applications extends the battery lifetime for IoT devices. HOMER optimization software is used to perform optimal system architecture, economic, and carbon footprint analyses while the Monte-Carlo simulation tool is used for evaluating the throughput and energy efficiency performances. The proposed algorithms are validated through the practical data of the rural areas of Bangladesh from which it is evident that the proposed power supply architecture is energy-efficient, cost-effective, reliable, and eco-friendly. Full article

In line with the decarbonization of the domestic sector to meet the 2050 climate neutrality targets, this paper describes the energy, economic, and environmental analysis of a set of different novel configurations of polygeneration installations to provide electricity, air conditioning, domestic hot water, and desalinated water for a building of 80 dwellings. All arrangements were designed to cover 100% of the five demands required in the building with renewable energy only, from photovoltaic (PV) and photovoltaic-thermal (PVT) panels and biomass backup boilers (BB). Electricity can be sold to or purchased from the grid without electrical storage with batteries. Additional electricity generation with thermoelectric generators (TEG) coupled to the PVTs, and the BB was explicitly analyzed. The choice of electrically or thermally activated technologies (heat pump, HP/single-effect absorption chiller, SEAC for cooling and multi-effect distillation, MED/reverse osmosis, RO for desalination) created four configurations from the basic structure based on solar and biomass sources. Thus, the paper has studied four designs in detail and applied them to three case studies corresponding to different locations in Spain. They were modeled with TRNSYS and included specific models for desalination technologies. Both structures provide important energy and CO₂ savings concerning the conventional supply of the building demands. The novel life-cycle analysis approach further increases the lifetime CO₂ savings for all configurations as well. The electric option (the combination of HP and RO for cooling and desalting) was, by far, the most attractive solution in terms of liability and lower investment required in the three case studies. Full article

Renewable energy resource utilisation is becoming more prevalent in society and can be a sustainable method to meet rising energy demand and consumption. The International Renewable Energy Agency reports that presently, approximately 33% of total electricity output around the world is from renewable energy sources. However, in Nigeria, the World Bank reported this figure as 18.2% in 2015. It is important to understand how Nigeria can raise this average as the world moves towards less use of fossil fuels. Therefore, the aim of this work was to provide a review of the established literature, which can then be used to support the development of renewable energy systems in Nigeria. The methodology employed for the study of the literature involved a systematic review method, including identification, screening, eligibility and inclusion criterium steps. Understanding the national energy landscape is essential to support potential projects, and consequently, energy supply, demand and consumption in Nigeria are observed. The review examined renewable energy sources in Nigeria with a focus on solar and biomass/bioenergy. The levelised cost of electricity from renewable technologies was analysed, and the paper identified and evaluated past projects centered on solar and biomass, presenting three main case studies. The results indicate that solar and biomass have the most potential for energy generation in Nigeria, with 4–6.5 kWh/m² of solar irradiation available per day and approximately 2.3 × 109 GJ bioenergy potential per year. However, solar PV is currently of most interest in Nigeria due to the lower cost of on-grid solar PV electricity, which can comfortably compete with fossil fuels. Nevertheless, costs still need to be lowered to compete fully. Finally, the findings also indicate that there is an omission in the literature surrounding the existing renewable projects and technologies in Nigeria. Full article

The increased penetration of renewable energy sources (RESs) along with the rise in demand for wireless communication had led to the need to deploy cellular base stations powered by locally accessible RESs. Moreover, networks powered by renewable energy sources have the ability to reduce the costs of generating electricity, as well as greenhouse gas emissions, thus maintaining the quality of service (QoS). This paper examines the techno-economic feasibility of developing grid-tied solar photovoltaic (PV)/biomass generator (BG)-powered heterogeneous networks in Bangladesh, taking into account the dynamic characteristics of RESs and traffic. To guarantee QoS, each macro and micro-base station is supplied through a hybrid solar PV/BG coupled with enough energy storage devices. In contrast, pico and femto BSs are powered through standalone solar PV units due to their smaller power rating. A hybrid optimization model for electric renewables (HOMER)-based optimization algorithm is considered to determine the optimum system architecture, economic and environmental analysis. MATLAB-based Monte-Carlo simulations are used to assess the system’s throughput and energy efficiency. A new weighted proportional-fair resource method is presented by trading power consumption and communication latency in non-real-time applications. Performance analysis of the proposed architecture confirmed its energy efficiency, economic soundness, reliability, and environmental friendliness. Additionally, the suggested method was shown to increase the battery life of the end devices. Full article

The popularity of electric vehicles (EVs) is increasing day by day in the modern world. The charging of EVs from grid-connected charging stations causes a considerable power crisis in the grid. Integrating renewable energy resources (RESs) with conventional energy sources in the power grid is now considered feasible to reduce peak power demand and the inevitable emission effect. Hence, this paper presents an energy solution for EV charging with two RESs, namely, solar photovoltaic (PV) and biogas. HOMER software is utilized to analyze the potency and functionality of solar PV and biogas-based EV charging stations. The proposed system consists of a solar PV system, two biogas engine generators, and a bidirectional converter with battery storage. The variation of different costs, such as net present cost (NPC), initial cost, and cost of energy (COE) for different solar PV systems (3 kW, 4.5 kW, 6 kW, and 9 kW), are analyzed in HOMER software. The 4.5 kW solar PV system is finally selected as the NPC, initial cost, and COE are $93,530, $19,735, and $0.181, respectively, which is efficient. The system’s lifetime is 25 years, where an initial 12 years is required to overcome the system cost, and the remaining 13 years will provide financial benefits. The study also illustrates the effect of solar irradiance, biomass, and the change in the load of the energy management system. The techno–economic analysis shows that the proposed scheme can be an effective energy solution. The emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), such as CO₂, CO, SO₂, and NO_X, is reduced considerably compared to other existing techniques. The study is expected to be beneficial in renewables-based EV charging systems with techno–economic and environmental feasibility. Full article

Several families in India live in remote places with no access to grid-connected power supply due to their remoteness. The study area chosen from the Indian state of Odisha does not have an electrical power supply due to its distant location. As a result, this study analyzed the electrification process using Renewable Energy (RE) resources available in the locality. However, these RE resources are limited by their dependency on weather conditions and time. So, a robust battery storage system is needed for a continuous power supply. Hence, the Nickel Iron (Ni-Fe), Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) and Lead Acid (LA) battery technologies have been analyzed to identify a battery technology that is both technologically and economically viable. Using the available RE resources in the study area, such as photovoltaic and biomass energy resources, as well as the various battery technologies, three configurations have been modelled, such as Photovoltaic Panels (PVP)/Biomass Generator(BIOMG)/BATTERY_(Ni-Fe), PV/BIOMG/BATTERY_(Li-Ion) and PVP/BMG/BATTERY_(LA). These three configurations have been examined using nine prominent metaheuristic algorithms, in which the PVP/BIOMG/BATTERY_(Ni-Fe) configuration provided the optimal Life Cycle Cost value of 367,586 USD. Among the all metaheuristic algorithms, the dynamic differential annealed optimization algorithm was given the best Life Cycle Cost values for all of the three configurations. Full article

Remote rural populations do not often have the luxury of viable multisource electricity generation systems. Considering fossil fuels for remote populated areas is not often a viable option due to the fuel transportation costs and the population’s socioeconomic status. Extending the grid is often economically prohibitive. This paper proposes possible ways in which Mali could increase the rate of population with access to electricity by 2050 using Low Emission Analysis Platform (LEAP) and geographical information tools. The current energy situation is assessed, and multiple demand and supply scenarios are created to find the most viable option in environmental and economic dimensions. A minimum of 50% reduction of biomass consumption in the residential sector and a maximum of 71% was achieved through the combination of grid extension and decentralized solar PV. Solar PV becomes the preferable option when enough time for the effects of electricity on income is given. When these effects are not present, solar PV is still a better option, as the amount of biomass replaced with electricity is reduced. Full article

Hybrid microgrids are presented as a solution to many electrical energetic problems. These microgrids contain some renewable energy sources such as photovoltaic (PV), wind and biomass, or a hybrid of these sources, in addition to storage systems. Using these microgrids in electric power generation has many advantages such as clean energy, stability in supplying power, reduced grid congestion and a new investment field. Despite all these microgrids advantages, they are not widely used due to some economic aspects. These aspects are represented in the net present cost (NPC) and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). To handle these economic aspects, the proper microgrids configuration according to the quantity, quality and availability of the sustainable source of energy in installing the microgrid as well as the optimal design of the microgrid components should be investigated. The objective of this paper is to design an economic microgrid system for the Yanbu region of Saudi Arabia. This design aims to select the best microgrid configuration while minimizing both NPC and LCOE considering some technical conditions, including loss of power supply probability and availability index. The optimization algorithm used is Giza Pyramids Construction (GPC). To prove the GPC algorithm’s effectiveness in solving the studied optimization problem, artificial electric field and grey wolf optimizer algorithms are used for comparison purposes. The obtained results demonstrate that the best configuration for the selected area is a PV/biomass hybrid microgrid with a minimum NPC and LCOE of $319,219 and $0.208/kWh, respectively. Full article

To a great extent, Pakistan and Turkey rely on imported fossil fuels to meet their energy demands. Pakistan is moving in the right direction, placing focus on renewable energy resources in its current infrastructure in order to address the energy shortage. Several projects (e.g., wind power and solar PV (photovoltaic) technologies) are operational or under development; they are intended to reduce energy challenges in Pakistan. The new government in Pakistan aims to increase the share of renewable energy in total power generation to 30% by 2030. On the other hand, Turkey surpasses Pakistan in renewable energy resources; for example, there are 186 operational wind energy power plants across the country. In addition, Turkey utilizes solar energy—mainly for residential usage. Turkey’s Vision 2023 energy agenda aims to supply 30% of their power demands from modern renewable energy resources. Turkey has implemented solar PV, solar buildings, wind power plants, geothermal energy resources, and biomass technology for heating, cooling and electricity generation. At present, Turkey’s supply to meet energy demands in the country is 56% fossil fuel energy resources and 44% renewable energy, including hydropower. Accessible details reveal that geothermal energy resources have been continuously neglected in Pakistan by the Ministry of Energy (power division); this is in contrast to the Turkish case, in which utilization of geothermal energy resources for heating and cooling purposes is efficient. With all the facts and figures under consideration, in this paper, comparative analyses are performed which reveal that the production of electricity from geothermal energy technologies is lower than the massive potential in both countries. Recommendations are made for important policies to promote renewable energy technologies, which could effectively support energy decentralization by providing electricity to rural areas and the national grid. Full article