Developing a model for optimal sizing of a small hydropower/PV hybrid system for electrification

The present study investigates the possibility of using a small hydropower/PV hybrid power system for low-cost electricity production which can satisfy the energy load requirements of a typical rural-urban area. In this context, the optimal dimensions to improve the technical and economical performances of the hybrid system are determined according to the load energy requirements and the solar and hydro resources data using linear programming. The application of the model is demonstrated using a case study of a rural-urban area in Mazandaran province, Iran. Two scenarios were considered for optimizing the system components. In the first scenario, a stand-alone hybrid small hydropower/PV system with battery as the storage component is considered for electricity generation while in the second scenario, the system is considered to be connected to the grid. The Levelized cost of electricity for the first scenario was found to be 30 cents/kWh and 9.5 cents/kWh for the second scenario. In the second scenario, no PV capacity is chosen for the system while the capacity of small hydropower is increased in comparison to first scenario showing the competitiveness of small hydropower systems with grid electricity.