Renewable Energy
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a r t i c l e i n f o
a b s t r a c t
Article history:
Received 3 September 2015
Received in revised form
24 December 2015
Accepted 29 December 2015
Available online 7 January 2016
Over the years, renewable energy based power generation has proven to be a cost-effective solution in
stand-alone applications in the regions where grid extension is difcult. The present study focused on
the development of models for optimal sizing of integrated renewable energy (IRE) system to satisfy the
energy needs in different load sectors of four different zones considered in Chamarajanagar district of
Karnataka state in India. The objective of the study is to minimize the total cost of generation and cost of
energy using genetic algorithm (GA) based approach. Considering optimization power factor (OPF) and
expected energy not supplied (EENS), optimum system feasibility has been investigated. Based on the
study, it has been found that IRES is able to provide a feasible solution between 1.0 and 0.8 OPF values.
However, power decit occurs at OPF values less than 0.8 and the proposed model becomes infeasible
under such conditions. Customer interruption cost (CIC) and decit energy (DE) for all zones were also
computed to quantify the reliability of the systems.
2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Keywords:
Genetic algorithm
Off grid electrication
Integrated renewable energy system
Customer interruption cost
Levelized cost of energy
1. Introduction
In a developing country like India, majority of the population
resides in remote rural areas and number of small isolated communities in such areas live without access to electricity from the
power grid [1]. Extension of power grid based supply to these
remote regions is not cost-effective or feasible. Moreover, conventional solutions proved by diesel generators are costly due to high
cost of fuel and maintenance and have drawbacks such as loud
noise and more importantly, emissions of green-house gases.
Renewable energy sources are clean and may prove to be good
alternative solutions for supplying the required electrical load. Due
to the uncertainty in the availability of renewable energy resources,
it is preferable to use an integrated renewable energy (IRE) system
to increase system reliability [2]. An IRE system utilizes two or more
locally available renewable energy based systems and may be a cost
effective solution to meet the energy demand of remote areas.
Further, such IRE systems are non-polluting, reliable and reduce the
total operating and maintenance cost [3]. In order to utilize the
available renewable energy resources efciently and economically,
optimal models are required to be developed to meet the demand
176
Nomenclature
ASPV
BGG
BMG
COE
CIC
CN
CRF
Cumecs
D
DE
DIE
EBGG
EENS
EMHP
EBMG
EWTG
ESPV
EO
FC
g
OTCG
hnet
HT
IEAR
INR
IR
kBGG
kBMG
kMHG
kSPV
kWTG
L
Lw
LCE
MHG
N
O&M
OPF
Pi
PSPV
PMHP
PBGG
PBMG
PWTG
Q
SPV
TCG
WTG
hMHG
hBGG
hBMG
hSPV
rw
and 1%) and found the most cost effective hybrid system for the
LPSP value of 5%. Amer et al. [18] proposed a hybrid renewable
energy system to satisfy the load demand through searching algorithm for reducing the levelized cost of energy with a satisfactory
range of the production. Alireza and Leandro [2] developed three
grid independent hybrid renewable energy systems for electrication to a small load area in Kerman Iron. They found PV/WT/
battery hybrid system is most cost effective and reliable for meeting
the energy demand of the proposed area.
Venkat and Mccalley [38] presented scenario based nationalwide transmission overlay planning over 40-years through NETPLAN co-optimization tools. They evaluated net benets in terms of
total investment and production cost system. Further, various end
effect mitigation models were also used to simulate a 40-year longterm infrastructure planning problem at yearly time steps [39].
Trishna Das et al. [40] demonstrated the generic bulk energy storage dispatch model for production costing simulation and assess
the economic viability of storage system under different system
scenarios.
Further, levelized cost of energy and levelized unit electricity
cost were considered as an economic sub model for the economic
assessment of IRE systems [19e22]. Similarly loss of power supply
probability, expected energy not supply, loss of load deciency and
loss of load expectation were considered as reliability sub models
for the analysis of IRE system reliability [23e26].
Based on the literature review, it is found that, a few studies
have been carried out to develop modeling of off-grid integrated
renewable energy system by combining resources such as micro
hydro, solar, wind, biomass and biogas. The models developed so
far mainly focus on one or two resources such as solar and wind,
and with battery system for meeting load demand of individual
177
3. Load assessment
The total energy demand of all the sectors in the area has been
estimated on the basis of the number of households and population
of the villages. Seasonal load demand was determined for different
load sectors and details of load for all the four zones are given in
Table 2. The electricity demand was mainly constituted by different
sectors such as domestic load (lighting, TV, fan and radio/music
system), community (primary health center, street lights and
school lighting), commercial (lighting for shops and our mill) and
small scale industrial load (saw mill or paddy huller). The estimation of total energy requirement of the villages was made on the
basis of minimum desirable seasonal load prole and hourly load.
The annual energy generation has been calculated using
Table 1
General information of study area.
Features
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
Name of gram
panchayath
Gopinatham
P.G. Palya
M.M. Hills
Punajanur
Populations (Nos.)
Literates (Nos.)
Illiterates (Nos.)
Marginal
agricultural
labors (Nos.)
Marginal workers
(Nos.)
Marginal
cultivators
(Nos.)
Electried villages
(Nos.)
Un-electried
villages (Nos.)
Households (Nos.)
Household
populations
(Nos.)
Latitude and
Longitude of the
area
Economic status
Social aspects
4092
2028
2064
1021
5588
2554
3034
405
12,645
6342
6303
1039
4200
1945
2255
469
1243
335
2399
679
911
42
495
330
11
23
24
10
302
604
395
750
763
1526
780
1560
Very poor
Back ward and weaker zone
back ward and weakest zone
Lack of welfare centre,
Lack of education no proper road and no medical facility, proper road and lack
literacy and back ward area back ward with remote area
of education with remote area
178
Zone 4
249.6
624
31.2
0
7.2
0.42
0
0.72
0
14
28.08
0.12
0
0.64
160
60
1175.98
Zone 3
244.16
610.4
30.52
0
7.2
0.42
0
0.72
0
16
27.36
0.12
0
0.64
160
60
1157.54
126.4
316
15.8
0
7.2
0.42
0
0.72
0
12
14.04
0.12
0
0.48
120
40
653.18
Zone 2
Zone 1
96.64
241.6
12.08
0
7.2
0.42
0
0.72
0
10
10.8
0.12
0
0.4
100
20
499.98
249.6
624
31.2
327.6
14.4
0.42
0.54
0.72
3.6
14
28.08
0.12
0.18
0.64
160
60
1515.1
244.16
610.4
30.52
320.46
14.4
0.42
0.54
0.72
3.6
16
27.36
0.12
0.18
0.64
160
60
1489.52
96.64
241.6
12.08
126.84
14.4
0.42
0.54
0.72
3.6
10
10.8
0.12
0.18
0.4
100
20
638.34
1560
780
780
780
1
3
3
12
12
7
78
1
1
8
8
3
1526
763
763
763
1
3
3
12
12
8
76
1
1
8
8
3
604
302
302
302
1
3
3
12
12
5
30
1
1
5
5
1
20
100
10
30
600
20
30
20
30
1000
30
20
30
20
5000
5000
CLF lights
TV
Radio
Fan
Refrigerator
CLF lights
Fan
CLF Lights
Fan
Motor
Street light
CLF Lights
Fan
CFL lights
Flour mill
Saw mils
8
8
4
14
24
7
6
3
10
2
12
6
6
4
4
4
8
8
4
0
12
7
0
3
0
2
12
6
0
4
4
4
790
395
395
395
1
3
3
12
12
6
39
1
1
6
6
2
126.4
316
15.8
165.9
14.4
0.42
0.54
0.72
3.6
12
14.04
0.12
0.18
0.48
120
40
830.6
Zone 4
Zone 3
Zone 2
Zone 1
Zone 4
Zone 3
Zone 2
Zone 1
Numbers in used
Winter
Operating hours
Power rating (watts)
Appliances
Shops
Commercial Load
Panchayath hall
Pumping water
High school
Health centre
Community Load
179
Qd
S
I 0:2S2
I 0:8S
25400
254
CN
p
TP 0:6TC TC
r
0:77
.
TC 0:0195 L3w Hnet
Domestic Load
Load sectors
Table 2
Details of load in different sectors of all the 4 zones.
Summer
0:0208 A Qd
TP
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
180
PWTG
8
<
0
for
aV 3 bPr ; for
:
Pr
for
(6)
(8)
(7)
Pr
3
3
Vrated
Vcutin
(9)
3
Vcutin
3
3
Vrated
Vcutin
(10)
(11)
Min TCG
subjected to
P
ERij DEi
PBGG
Total gas yield m3 day calorific valueBG hBGS
(13)
PBMG
181
LCEj ERij
(16)
P ERij
RAj
hij
(17)
ERij 0
Where; TCG is total generation cost (Rs); LCE is levelized cost of
energy (Rs/kWh) for the jth resources; ERij is optimal amount of
energy of jth resources options for ith end use (kWh); DEi is the
total energy demand for ith end use (kWh); RAj is the availability of
the jth resources options for ith end use (kWh); hij is the conversion
efciency for the jth resources options for ith end use.
(15)
(14)
Table 3
Cost parameters considered for different systems under the present study [33,34].
Cost parameters
Units
Systems
MHP
SPV
WTG
BGG
BMG
Capital cost
O & M cost
Plant life
Interest rate
Fuel Cost
LCE
Rs in thousands/kW
% capital cost
Yrs
%
Rs
Rs/kWh
85
3
25
11
0
2.32
125
3
30
11
0
8.0
175
4
25
11
0
5.53
40
4
20
11
2.8
4.55
50
4
15
11
3
4.71
182
Table 4
Technical parameters of various system components considered for different zones.
Technical Parameters
Zones
Units
Zone 1
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
kW
%
Nos.
%
Nos.
%
kW
%
kW
%
24
58.63
13
25.0
6
54.16
17
41.66
22
50
e
e
25
25.0
6
58.33
35
45.83
51
50
30
66.84
34
25.0
9
58.33
39
41.66
50
50
28.5
66.84
58
25.0
12
54.16
50
45.83
76
50
2
P 3
fCRFi; n O&Mg Pi
6
7
i
P
LCE 4
5 FC
87:6 ki
(18)
CRF
i1 in
1 in 1
(19)
(20)
EENS L:D
(21)
7. Results and discussions
OPF
EO EENS
EO
(22)
(23)
183
Table 5
Optimization results in terms of optimal cost with COE for 1.0 OPF.
Zones MHP
Contribution SPV
Contribution WTG
Contribution BGG
Contribution BMG
Contribution OTCG(Rs in Thousands) COE (Rs./kWh)
(kWh/yr) (%)
(kWh/yr) (%)
(kWh/yr) (%)
(kWh/yr) (%)
(kWh/yr) (%)
Zone
Zone
Zone
Zone
1 97,071
2 e
3 210,652
4 147,571
35.64
e
40.76
21.92
10,943
13,139
13,388
29,660
4.02
3.81
2.59
4.14
13,463
12,136
14,016
28,131
4.94
3.05
2.71
4.17
58,402
96,178
92,667
170,638
from all resources). Fig. 6 shows the variation of energy contribution with OPF values from different system components. It has been
observed from Fig. 6 that the IRE model is capable of supplying
energy up to 80% of the load as long as the OPF value is 0.8. For OPF
value less than 0.8, the system becomes infeasible due to the
unavailability/non-functioning of resources. Hence the cost of
generation is increased. Therefore, it is concluded that, decit in
energy increases with an increase in customer interruption cost
and the proposed IRE model is found to be unfeasible for OPF value
below 0.8.
In case of OPF values are in the range of 0.8 and 0.2, energy
contribution from MHG and BGG increases considerably. However,
contribution from SPV and wind decrease even though sufcient
21.44
27.89
17.93
25.34
92,519
223,366
186,150
297,416
33.97
64.78
36.01
44.16
1110
1550
2020
2870
4.10
4.5
3.91
4.26
184
Fig. 6. Variation of energy contribution with OPF values from different system components.
Table 6
Energy contribution with OPF values from different system components.
Zones
OPF
MHG
SPV
WTG
BGG
BMG
Zone 1
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
1
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
97,071
76,127
33,477
18,105
20,514
e
e
e
e
e
210,652
156,210
139,526
98,822
80,518
147,571
119,537
95,751
42,407
40,243
10,943
8536
1348
0
0
13,139
11,925
6086
4150
0
13,388
10,766
7456
0
0
29,660
25,821
10,252
3033
0
13,463
10,420
2221
2291
1273
12,136
12,898
10,651
7488
876
14,016
12,285
9158
2886
0
28,131
26,222
11,265
6512
0
58,402
53,524
34,426
29,997
5022
96,178
72,967
84,569
62,164
9517
92,667
82,077
59,178
13,246
18,471
170,638
138,531
108,286
35,138
32,655
92,519
69,312
91,967
58,566
27,671
223,366
178,065
105,585
64,126
58,571
186,150
152,160
94,806
91,794
35,695
297,416
228,621
178,496
182,276
61,785
Zone 2
Zone 3
Zone 4
energy is zero), while OPF value 0.8 means 80% of energy served by
resources and 20% of energy is not served (unmet energy is 20%)
due to the unavailability/non-functioning of resources. For OPF
185
Fig. 7. Variation in optimal cost of energy with OPF value for different zones.
Fig. 8. Variation in decit in energy with OPF value for different zones.
Fig. 9. Variation in customer interruption cost with OPF value for different zones.
from present analysis, the system might need additional investments in peaking generation capacity to meet peak loads, since
they have not explicitly modeled for peak hours under the present
study.
8. Conclusions
In this paper, an optimal IRE model comprising MHG, SPV, WTG,
BGG and BMG has been developed for four different zones in the
Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka, India. Zone wise optimized
total cost and COE were determined through GA based approach.
186
187