Abstract:
The majority of Ethiopia's rural, isolated areas are not yet electrified. It is challenging and
expensive to extend the grid infrastructure to these isolated places. Rural communities must
therefore rely on local energy supply options. Kerosene is utilized for lighting in these places,
diesel is utilized for processing and pumping, conventional biomass is utilized for cooking, and
dry cells are utilized for radios and tape recorders. But the rising fetched of oil and the hurt that
fossil fills do to the environment energize individuals to seek for other, more feasible (in a
perfect world renewable) vitality sources. In this study, techno-economic feasibility of PV-micro
hydro-Biogas hybrid system with storage battery is analysed to electrify Tulla-Dadiban village in
Kafa zone Ethiopia. Also to show the economic feasibility comparison between grid extension
and hybrid system cost is analysed. The feasibility of this paper is analysed using HOMER
(Hybrid Optimization Model for Electrical Renewable) software.
Resource information about the gross head and flow rate of the river is obtained from direct
measurement from the site and from ministry of water and energy of Ethiopia (MOWE). The
paper utilized meteorological data obtained from National Meteorological Agency of Ethiopia,
NASA and SWERA to estimate the solar energy potentials. The cost information for grid
extension is taken from Ethiopian Electric Power Corporation and is analysed using interlinked
Microsoft office excel-spread sheet prepared by Universal Electric Access Program. Estimating
the electric load and forecasting for the community needs, such as, for stoves, lighting, CFL,
radio, water pumps, television and flour mills, is done. Primary school and health clinic and
tourism infrastructure are also considered for the community. Finally the resulting optimal
system architecture included 10 kW hydro generator, 58 kW PV solar and a 15 kW biogas
generator, with a cost of energy (COE) and total net present cost (NPC) of $0.109207/kWh and
$376648.7/kWh, respectively. The breakeven grid extension distance is found to be 12.78 km,
which implies that this hybrid energy system is cost-effective for areas greater than the
breakeven distance.
