Search

Diesel generators have long been in use in rural communities in Nigeria despite the impact of emissions caused by these generators on the environment. Due to the high cost and fluctuation in the diesel price and the need for a greener environment, such electric generating systems seem not to be economical and environmentally friendly and need to be addressed. The potential of utilizing the major renewable energy sources prevailing in the Umuejim Amorka community was investigated based on related site surveys and data collected from each household. This paper also investigates the feasibility and economic viability of employing a hybrid-electric system in rural communities. The HOMER software that analyzes system configuration was used to study the application and functional limitations of each hybridized arrangement. The results showed that the renewable energy (RE) based system, photovoltaic (PV)//battery(B), has the lowest cost of energy (COE) and net profit cost (NPC) compared to the PV/Diesel Generator (DG)/B and standalone DG systems. Although the diesel generator (DG) hybrid-electric system (HES) has lower NPC and COE values compared to PV/DG/B, the DG system has the highest significant pollution emission. Furthermore, the result revealed that the PV/B system has the lowest capital and total costs compared to the other two HESs. Moreso, the PV/B system, has the highest return on investment (ROI), making the system the most economically viable and adjudged to be a better candidate for rural community electrification demands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water electrolysis can produce hydrogen by using a photovoltaic array as an electrical source to power the electrolyzer. Combining multiple energy sources has the potential to increase hydrogen production while also meeting other electrical needs. As Oman is planning to develop green hydrogen production, this study is proposed to help the private and governmental sectors to invest in the green hydrogen industry. In this study, the unique geographical location of Salalah and the meteorological data collected were utilized in the hybrid energy arrangement to generate electricity and produce a significant amount of hydrogen in Salalah using HOMER (Hybrid optimization model for electric renewables). The findings showed that the wind turbine (WT), photovoltaic (PV), fuel cell (FC), and hydrogen tank (HT) hybrid energy system is economically viable when compared to its counterparts in other systems and was chosen to meet Salalah in Oman's electrical and hydrogen production needs. The PV-WT-FC-HT hybrid energy system is clearly the best option for the proposed hydrogen project in Salalah because it has the lowest Levelized Cost of Hydrogen (LCOH), 1.15 ($/kg), and Cost of Energy (COE), 19.0 ($/kWh). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, the sizing of an electrical power system for the Dhofar region in the southern of Oman is proposed and discussed through an optimization of the net project cost of different configurations of power sources. Both stand-alone and grid-connected cases are studied and discussed. The generated electrical power from renewable energy sources depends mainly on solar radiations, temperature, and wind speed. The incomes depend on the electrical power produced from renewable energy sources and the initial cost of investment as well as the operation and maintenance cost of renewable energy equipment. The analysis of different cases is performed using HOMER Software. The comparison of different configurations shows that the hybrid grid-connected system is the optimum solution to produce 1046807 kWh of electrical power from renewable energy sources with a minimum net project cost of 186 751 €. The utilization of electrical power from the power grid is the most expensive solution with a net project cost of 5.07 million €. The hybrid photovoltaic wind grid-connected system allows reducing of the cost of energy to 0.0117 € per kWh with an optimum initial investment cost of 386 648 €. The detailed analysis of proposed renewable energy solutions based on accurate informations gives every confidence in its reliability for future energy requirements of Oman. The proposed solutions hold good for this region in Oman in the long term. Indeed, installing renewable energy systems allows reducing electricity bills and participating in the national development plan related to green energy policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salalah is known for its Al-Khareef unique weather that is marked by influx of tourists into the community resulting in high electrical load demand during the Al-Khareef season. This paper investigates the viability of two hybridised energy systems for application in Salalah community. The result demonstrated that the Photovoltaic, Wind and Battery combination is more cost effective in terms of energy consumption, initial cost and renewal price, in comparison to the other hybrid energy system. The Homer Pro software, return on investment and internal rate of return analysis showed that the Photovoltaic/Wind/Battery scheme commands higher economic and environmental viability, presenting the Photovoltaic, Wind and Battery scheme as a better option to meet the power demand for Salalah city. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]