Techno-Economic Analysis of Hybrid PV-Wind-Diesel-Battery Standalone and Grid-Connected Microgrid for Rural Electrification in Zimbabwe

The diminishing factor in the availability of fossil fuels has led to failure of the traditional grids to meet the ever-growing load demand in Zimbabwe. Hence, the utility provider prioritizes meeting urban demand over rural demand with its limited generation capacity. Therefore, this study addresse...

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Published in2022 IEEE Nigeria 4th International Conference on Disruptive Technologies for Sustainable Development (NIGERCON) pp. 1 - 5
Main Authors Mhandu, Simbarashe Raphael, Mary Longe, Omowunmi
Format Conference Proceeding
LanguageEnglish
Published IEEE 17.04.2022
Subjects
Costs
Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Electric Renewables (HOMER)
Hybrid Renewable Energy Sources (HRES) Microgrid
Microgrids
Photovoltaic systems
Renewable Energy
Renewable energy sources
Solar Photovoltaic (PV)
Target tracking
Tariffs
Wind energy
Wind Turbine
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Summary:The diminishing factor in the availability of fossil fuels has led to failure of the traditional grids to meet the ever-growing load demand in Zimbabwe. Hence, the utility provider prioritizes meeting urban demand over rural demand with its limited generation capacity. Therefore, this study addresses how to improve electricity access to rural areas in Zimbabwe through the design of a hybrid microgrid, that is powered by solar and wind energy sources, for an unelectrified rural location in Zimbabwe called Kagoro village in Mhondoro. The proposed hybrid model showed that a Photovoltaic-Wind-Diesel-Storage system with no tracking system has the lowest Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) and net present cost (NPC) with a high renewable energy fraction (RF) of 97.7%. The proposed microgrid system could supply electricity to the target community at 0.223/kWh and 0.05790/kWh in standalone and grid-connected modes respectively with a payback period of 5.6 years, making it a good business case for would-be investors.
ISSN:2377-2697
DOI:10.1109/NIGERCON54645.2022.9803058