Optimal sizing and performance analysis of hybrid microgrid for remote island of developing country: Effect of sustainable parameters, benefits and installation barriers

Abstract

Maintaining a continuous supply of power with a sustainable microgrid is still a difficult task for the off-grid area in a developing country. Using HOMER software, the techno-economic potentiality of various system configurations is demonstrated, and a PV/WT/battery/DG-based optimal system is chosen for the selected off-grid area based on Net Present Cost (NPC). The result of this optimal system is compared with the result obtained by Mixed Integer Linear Programming (MILP). The NPC ($1087520) and Renewable Fraction (RF) (90.7%) of MILP-based systems are 3.7% lower and 29.1% higher than HOMER-based systems. The amount of carbon emissions in the HOMER-based system is 79.7% larger than the MILP-based system, even though the difference in NPC is not excessive. Due to lower NPC and carbon emissions, MILP-based systems are more cost-efficient and eco-friendly. A sensitivity analysis of uncertain parameters, including annual load, discount rate, fuel price, and solar radiation, has been added to evaluate the effect of the variation of these parameters.Additionally, a few linguistic factors, such as land usage, future of technology, employment, comfortable living, and biological diversity, are also examined by normalization to demonstrate the efficiency of the optimal system. The optimal system achieved top ranking for its outstanding preference values in all criteria except land usage and is recommended in the environmental, technological, and social categories. This evaluation approach can aid researchers, decision-makers, and financiers in better planning microgrids focusing on sustainable features.

Keywords

• Hybrid renewable energy system
• Net present cost
• Techno-economic analysis
• Sensitivity analysis
• Sustainable factors