Techno-economic Feasibility Analysis of Stand-alone Renewable Energy Systems (PV/bat, Wind/bat and Hybrid PV/wind/bat) in Kerman, Iran

Abstract This article presents a feasibility analysis of renewable energy systems for supplying the electrical load requirements of a typical community (50 rural households) in a remote location in Kerman, Iran. The renewable energy systems (photovoltaic/battery [PV/bat], wind/battery [wind/bat] and hybrid photovoltaic/wind/battery [PV/wind/bat]) considered in the analysis were comprised of different combinations of PV modules and wind energy conversion systems (WECS) supplemented with battery storage. The assessment criterion for the analysis was total net present cost of each system configuration. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable software was utilized as the assessment tool for the present study. The results showed that because of the scatter in the distribution of wind speed (sudden decreases in the wind speeds) in Kerman, the application of WECS results in an increase in the number of wind turbines, the required capacity of battery storages and, consequently, the total net present cost of the wind/bat and hybrid (PV/wind/bat) renewable energy systems. For this reason, the PV/bat system was recommended for supplying the electrical load requirements of the present study.

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