Design and techno-economic-reliability evaluation of solar PV energy
system for rural farmhouse and healthcare center.
Abstract
The paper presents a design for optimized hybrid PV system to meet the demand for electricity and
irrigation load in a rural Indian region.
Two case studies were analyzed for optimal energy system selection based on technical, economic,
environmental and reliability parameters. The system performance was analyzed under various weather
and load conditions, using MATLAB, while techno-economic and reliability analyses were conducted using
HOMER Pro and Markov process respectively.
The study revealed that the hybrid PV i.e. (PV/BB/DG) energy system is the most cost-effective, reliable
and eco-friendly solution for meeting load demands in various weather conditions in rural areas.
Chapter 1: Introduction
This highlights the problem of energy shortage in India and the corresponding attention paid to renewable
energy sources such as solar, wind, geothermal, etc. in order to meet rising energy demand.
It also lists the insights gained from the review of previous literature concerning the subject matter. Some
of the insights are:
•
•
•
A PV/biomass/DG/battery bank system, that has been optimized using HOMER software, can be
used to supply electricity to remote settlements in eastern India.
The techno-economic-environmental analysis of grid linked and grid-off systems in several
locations in turkey considered net present cost, cost of energy, greenhouse gas emissions and the
renewable factor, using HOMER software.
A PV system comprising of thermal collectors equipped with a battery pack can be used to satisfy
the energy demand of residential buildings. The environmental and economic analyses included
calculates the cost of energy and CO2 emissions.
The chapter also includes the limitations of the literature that were reviewed:
•
•
•
Most text only included the net present cost and cost of energy in the economic analysis.
Most text simply present reliable indices such as the loss of load probability (LOLP) and expected
energy not supplied (EENS).
In technical conditions, modelling and simulation results in different weather and load conditions
are not shown.
It lists how the report addresses the issues identified in the literature review mentioned above.
Chapter 2: Methodology
This states the research study goals and outlines how they were achieved.
The primary goal was to design a configuration that had been optimized to achieve the load demand in
various weather and load situations, while considering the economic, eco-friendly and reliable feasibility.
The steps taken are as follows:
•
•
•
•
•
Computation of all data i.e., load demand, system components cost, atmosphere data, etc.
Selection of all possible configurations of the system. Each configuration was optimized
technically, economically and for reliability, to determine the most efficient energy configuration
for rural regions.
Cost evaluation of each configuration using HOMER Pro.
Design and simulation of each configuration using MATLAB observe performance under different
weather and load demand.
Evaluation of reliability index via the Markov process.
Chapter 3: Stand-alone hybrid PV system
The proposed hybrid system is described, with a brief explanation of its constituent components. The
stand alone PV system is designed to operate independently of the electrical power grid. It may be
powered by PV alone, or may use PV with battery or PV with diesel generator.
The components of the hybrid system are:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
PV panel
DC-DC Converter
DC-AC Converter
Battery
Charge controller
Diesel generating set
Change over switch
Chapter 4: Case study
The load requirements, for which the system was designed, were specified in this chapter. This study
considered a healthcare center and farmhouse located in the Niwali village district, Badwani, India. It
included the monthly averages for the solar irradiance in that location (kWh/m2), the healthcare center
load (kWh), and the lighting and irrigation loads (kWh) of the farmhouse.
Chapter 5: Economic evaluation
Economic evaluation of hybrid energy systems involves analyzing the costs and benefits of integrating
multiple energy sources, such as solar, wind, and storage, to meet a specific energy demand. This analysis
can include factors such as initial capital costs, operating and maintenance costs, fuel costs, and the value
of energy produced.
The paper considered the following metrics:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Net present cost (NPC)
Cost of electricity (COE)
Capital cost (CC)
Annual cost (AC)
Fuel cost (FC)
Operating cost (OC)
The Markov process
The Markov process is a stochastic process used to model a set of random variables ordered in a sequence,
where both the index and state space can be discrete or continuous.
The different configurations of the hybrid system are represented as operating states and the transition
between these states based on probabilities is modelled using the Markov process. For example, State-1
represents that the PV, BB, and DG system is on; all are available to meet the load demand. State-2
represents that the PV system is off, BB, DG system is on, DG/BB configuration is available to satisfy the
load requirement and so on. The Markov chain process involved the following steps:
•
•
•
•
•
Identifying the various states in which the system can exist, such as operational, failed, under
repair time, etc.
Calculating the transition probabilities between different states based on the system condition
and failure rates.
Determining the reliability indices i.e., LOLP, EENS, unavailability, etc.
Assessing the reliability to analyze the performance of the system in different situations.
Choosing the best system, based on the indices and performance of the system.
Chapter 6: Results and discussion
It is divided into 3 parts. The first part states the results for the simulation of different configurations of
the system under different load and weather conditions. The second part states the results for the
economic-environment analysis of different configurations of the system using HOMER Pro software.
The third part states the reliability indices for the hybrid system. The second and third parts are
subdivided based on the farmhouse and health center case studies.
The different configurations are PV only, PV/BB, PV/DG, DG only, DG/BB, and PV/BB/DG.
Chapter 7: Conclusion
Insights from the research are summarized.