Analysis of sensitive parameters influencing a SPV/WT/Biomass/Battery based hybrid system

Overall performance of any hybrid energy systems depends on design parameters and its effects. An off-grid SPV/WT/Biomass hybrid system with battery storage is studied with various input and sensitive parameters to meet the load demand (87.6 kWh/day) of an institutional building. Multiple size optimizations are performed using HOMER software, with different sets of input sensitivity parameters, like energy load demand, biomass price, project lifetime, real annual interest rate, solar radiation, annual capacity shortage, biomass gasifier lifetime, PV modules lifetime, PV array derating factor, wind speed, hub height and wind turbine life time. The most optimum design configuration is consists of a 13kW biomass gasifier system, 12 kWp PV array, 5kW wind turbine and 20 numbers of 12V batteries with a 14kW converter and it supplies electrical power at lowest rate US$ 0.213 per unit. Results from the sensitivity analysis show that energy load demand, capacity shortage, project lifetime, interest rate, biomass gasifier lifetime are the most critical parameters, which mainly affected the cost of energy, gasifier operating hours and total net present cost.