Optimized Hybrid Photovoltaic Diesel Storage Battery Mini-Grid System for Rural Electrification in Ethiopia

Hybrid power systems based on new and renewable energy sources, especially solar PV and Diesel Generator are an effective option to solve the power-supply problem for remote and detached areas from the national grids. Hybrid renewable set-up indicates that various combinations based on the renewable sources could be applied simultaneously to play energy in the form of employed in an off-gird supporting with diesel generator and battery energy storage system as backup systems. In this paper, solar PV/Diesel Generator/battery bank/converter have been simulated and optimized for the rural area of Albasa village among the woreda of Metekel Zone in Benshangul Gumuz region of Ethiopia. Based on the design of hybrid system Primary load demand of the village was 279kWh/day, peak load of 67kW, deferrable energy is about 29kWh/day, and deferrable peak load of 1.9kW with COE $0.010/kWh were involved during optimization of the power system. Well known freeware HOMER and programmable logic controller modeling tool have been used to design optimal off-grid system and energy management system respectively. Solar PV was considered as primary sources to supply electricity directly to the load and to charge battery bank when there were excess energy generation. However, either in peak load times or low generation of primary sources storage battery bank discharged and Diesel Generator could also be used as a source. The load has been suggested for residential loads and deferrable load. During design of this power system set-up, the simulation and optimization was done based on the load demand, climatic data, economics of integrated system components and other parameters in which the total NPC and levelized COE have to be minimized to select economically feasible and technically capable hybrid power system. Furthermore; a programmable logic controller modeling is also modeled to compare the possible potentials available and take a decision. The decision of programmable logic controller modeling is based on the instructional rules written on it.