INTEGRATED HYBRID RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEM FOR OFF-GRID RURAL ELECTRIFICATION IN VILLAGES IN EAST INDIA

Abstract

The increase in population, technology and per capita energy consumption results in an exponential increase in electricity demand. The conventional power generation alone could not meet the load demands due to inadequate investment policies, fuel constraints and high transmission and distribution losses. Off-grid Integrated Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems (IHRESs) can be a viable alternative for powering un-electrified villages, where the grid extension is not feasible and/or economical. Renewable Energy (RE) resources such as solar, wind, biomass and micro hydropower can be used to supply the electrical energy needs of isolated communities by constructing an off-grid Integrated Renewable Energy System (IRES). For a steady and cost-effective power supply, it is necessary to integrate one or two RE resources as well as batteries. A Diesel Generator (DG) can also be used to compensate for the inconsistency of RE resources. Demand-side management (DSM) can also be used to develop viable and efficient systems. In this regard, electricity generation using RE resources available in the study area is considered to be the best alternative. The present study is planned with the objectives as (i) To identify the cluster of un-electrified villages which have the potential of RE resources, (ii) To assess the load demand and RE resources potential for the identified study area, (iii) To develop the mathematical models of different components of the IRES and IHRESs, (iv) To analyze the performance of an IRES, both with and without a DG using the effect of load variation, (v) To analyze the Life Cycle Cost (LCC) of the IRES with different battery technologies, both with and without a DG under different operating conditions and (vi) To optimize the LCC of the IRES by considering the Demand-Side Management (DSM), both with and without a DG.