Techno-Economic Analysis of Grid-Connected Hybrid Renewable Energy System for Remote Areas Electrification Using Homer Pro

Pakistan is facing a drastic scarcity of electricity for the last two decades. Most of the areas in Pakistan have no access to electricity especially in Balochistan where most of the population has no electricity and water supply. Concerning the electricity issues, this research study is investigated to design a technical and economical hybrid system for the remote areas of Balochistan. For this purpose, three remote sites have been selected named Gujar village in district Awaran, Plantak in Washuk, and Shahrak village in Kech of Balochistan. Proposed sites are analyzed to find the potential of renewable energy i.e. Wind and solar in the targeted sites of Balochistan. The wind and solar potential data are taken from the PMD, NREL, and NASA websites. For the selected sites, three models have been designed in Homer Pro software by using different component combinations. These components include a fuel cell, generator, batteries, hydrogen tank, electrolyzer, Wind and Solar modules, and Converters. These models are connected to the grid to sell back the excess energy to the grid through net metering. After simulation and optimization, the most feasible and economic solution is decided that is based on NPC, COE, initial cost, and operating cost.

Automated summary

Pakistan has been experiencing a severe shortage of electricity for the past two decades, especially in remote areas like Balochistan. In order to address this issue, this research study investigates the potential of renewable energy, specifically wind and solar, in remote areas of Balochistan and proposes a technical and economical hybrid system. By analyzing the selected locations and using simulation and optimization, the most feasible and economic solution is determined based on factors such as net present cost, cost of electricity, initial cost, and operating cost.