Potential of electricity generation from renewable energy sources for a large hotel in Mauritius

The booming tourism industry is one of the biggest consumers of electricity in Mauritius. This paper investigates the potential of renewable energy sources to supply a sizeable share of the electricity consumption in large hotels. A comparative analysis of the technical and economic feasibility of three hybrid systems involving photovoltaic and wind energy systems is performed using HOMER software. Results reveal that a grid-connected 2.1 MW photovoltaic system is the most cost-effective configuration with a net present cost of $17,047,978 and an initial investment of $6,794,118 over a project lifetime of 20 years. Solar energy generates 47% of the total electricity requirements of the hotel in this optimal scenario. Simulations further show that the best option emits least pollutants and has a minimum payback time of 7.9 years. This study demonstrates that renewable energy sources can cost-effectively supplement the conventional electricity supply in the Mauritian tourism sector.