Abstract:
The use of renewable off grid systems are being more common in the African rural communities. Especially hybrid systems have an important role to play on sustainable energy access for all. Different combinations are possible to ensure intermittent energy production far from the national grids. However, it is important to find the best hybrid combinations for each climate region.
This work focuses on the technical, economic and environmental analysis of a hybrid energy system (SEH), based on solar-wind-diesel and batteries applied in the three existing climatic regions of Chad, for the needs of a decentralized rural electrification. The sizing and optimization approach consisted in choosing for each climate region a representative site where the solar and wind potentials data are available. Using HOMER software (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable), technical-economic analysis of energy solutions is made for four types of load profiles in each climate region. The system is applied to provide energy separately for domestic use, income generating activities and a telecommunication station all in rural areas. The main performance parameters in which focused the work are the net present cost (NPC), the cost of electricity (COE), the Green House Gases (GHG) emissions and the renewable fraction. The results show that in the Saharan region the best combinations are PV-wind-diesel-battery for domestic use, and PV-diesel-battery for both water pumping and telecom application. For income generating activities, a PV-battery system is the most interesting hybrid system in the Sahelian region. Finally, a sensitivity analysis shows that by increasing the renewable energies fraction in the system, the COE will decrease.
