Techno-Economic Modeling of Hybrid PV/Wind/Biomass Microgrid Renewable Energy Systems Using Load Following Dispatch Method

This research presents a technical and economic assessment of a hybrid energy system for electricity generation, accessibility, sustainability and consumption in rural and semi urban locations in Nigeria. The aim is to determine the sizes, technical and economic considerations of the hybrid microgrid renewable energy infrastructure that could be suitable for 40 rural and semi-urban locations selected to cut across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and all the 36 states in the country. The cost of the components of the hybrid system and the energy generated per renewable energy (RE) source from the microgrid are determined for all the locations. The projected yearly electricity generated for each location for the hybrid system were determined using the hybrid optimization of multiple electric renewables (HOMER) energy modelling software for a period of 10 years from 2024 to 2033. TheWorld Bank population growth rate of 2.5% was used to estimate the population each year and the associated load demand. Each location was assumed to have a minimum electric load of 0.76 kWh per day per person. To simulate longterm continuous implementation of the hybrid system, average solar irradiation, wind speed and available biomass resources for the selected locations were used. The mean annual wind speed ranged from 3.45 to 7.15 m/s. The solar radiation ranged from 4.43 to 6.24 kWh/m2/day. The per capita net present cost (NPC) ranged from 776.37 to 4130.21 USD per kWh, while the cost of energy (COE) ranged from 0.00196 to 0.0231 USD /kWh, respectively for the period. The results show that Nigeria as a country has ample renewable energy resource availability to meet minimum electric power demand for the locations consdered.With a strong political determination, optimal utilization of these renewable resources (solar, wind and biomass) can be actualized. Researchers, Industrialists, Policy Makers and the Nigerian government should therefore take advantage of these abundant renewable energy resources in the country to develop a sustainable energy generation and consumption plan through its maximum utilization.