Feasibility Study and Comparative Analysis of Hybrid Renewable Power System for off-Grid Rural Electrification in a Typical Remote Village Located in Nigeria

The introduction of a decentralized energy system in remote rural areas with limited or no access to power supply can improve the quality of life of people living in these areas. Renewable energy technology can play a key role in electricity generation, as grid expansion is not a cost-effective option. In this study, we focused on the techno-economic feasibility and optimal design of a hybrid micro-hydro-photovoltaic-diesel-battery-wind power system designed to electrify a typical remote village located in the southern part of Nigeria. We aimed at achieving the electrification at minimal cost while taking into cognizance the constraints of environmental pollutant emission. In this study, the technical details, as well as the economic feasibility of setting up such a power system, were determined using the hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources (HOMER) simulation tool. Different combinations of energy resources including solar, wind, hydro, and diesel were compared and analyzed. The system performance and economics using some determinant factors such as the cost of energy, operation, and maintenance cost, net present cost, excess electricity, capacity shortage, generator fuel consumption rates, and cost, load fulfillment, and CO2 and other pollutant gas emission savings were determined. The experimental results and the comparative analysis revealed that a hybrid hydro/PV/wind/diesel/battery system was the most ideal and preferred option for off-grid rural electrification. The simulation results also indicated that the optimal system had a net present cost (NPC) and cost of energy (COE) of $1.01 m and $0.106/kWh, respectively, with a renewable fraction of 77.4% and environmental pollutant emission of 228,945 kg/year. This system was found to be environmentally friendly as it emitted the least pollutant gas among all the considered configurations. Bearing in mind the recent advocacy towards the actualization of Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) number 7, this work was found to be in alignment with the tenet of “Affordable and Clean Energy”.