Potential Assessment and Feasibility Study of Standalone PV-Micro Hydro-Biogas Hybrid System for Rural tourist destination (Tulla Dadiban village, Kafa zone Ethiopia)

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.