Off‐grid hybrid renewable energy system for rural healthcare centers: A case study in Nigeria

Abstract

Abstract Presented in this study is an optimal hybrid renewable off‐grid energy system model that supplies a typical rural healthcare center across the six regions in Nigeria. A technical and economic evaluation was carried out to identify the optimal off‐grid hybrid energy system combination based on photovoltaic (PV), wind, diesel generator and battery. Due to governments’ fuel subsidy in many developing countries, the pump price of fuel is reduced and not a true reflection of what is obtainable in a deregulated market. In order to comprehensively capture the reality, the study considered the effect of subsidy removal by carrying out a sensitivity analysis on the fuel pump price. Therefore, the impact of a change in diesel fuel pump price and interest rates on the economic performance criteria of the optimal configuration is explored. Results show that across all the locations considered, PV/diesel/battery system is the most economically viable with a net present cost and renewable fraction (RF) ranging between $12 779 and $13 646 and 70%‐80% respectively. The cost of energy (COE) is also estimated to range between 0.507 and 0.542 $/kWh.

Keywords

• hybrid renewable energy system
• levelised cost of energy
• net present cost
• rural healthcare center
• techno‐economic analysis