Open AccessOff‐grid hybrid renewable energy system for rural healthcare centers: A case study in Nigeria
Author(s) -
Babatunde Olubayo Moses,
Adedoja Oluwaseye Samson,
Babatunde Damilola Elizabeth,
Denwigwe Iheanacho Henry
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
energy science and engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.638
H-Index - 29
ISSN - 2050-0505
DOI - 10.1002/ese3.314
Subject(s) - diesel generator , renewable energy , photovoltaic system , subsidy , diesel fuel , net present value , battery (electricity) , automotive engineering , environmental economics , cost of electricity by source , grid , environmental science , business , engineering , electricity generation , electrical engineering , economics , power (physics) , physics , geometry , mathematics , quantum mechanics , production (economics) , market economy , macroeconomics
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.