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The academic institute, a huge consumer of energy, is still depending upon the grid and/or conventional fuel despite having potential areas of a solar PV installation. No such study has been reported in Nepal which has techno-economically discussed the potential use of academic institute rooftops for solar PV installation. In this study, we have investigated the techno-economic and environmental assessment of a 1 megawatt (MW) rooftop solar PV using PVsyst for Purwanchal Campus, Nepal. It has been estimated the plant will produce about 1,660 MWh of usable AC electricity annually and out of which 95% can be supplied to the grid. The remaining can fulfill the demand of the campus at sunshine hours. For this, a capital investment of about USD 961,404 is needed for the plant with an annual operating cost of USD 8,008. This project gives a 190% return of investment within its life of 25 years with a Levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of 0.069 USD/kWh. The performance ratio and payback period of the project are calculated at about 0.765 and 8.4 years, respectively. The system will produce about 97% less emission than that of diesel generator, which is currently being used for power backup. It is concluded that a 1 MW grid-connected solar PV system is feasible for the studied campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current study, the potential of forest-based biomass supply for the pellet production in Nepal is investigated. This study showed that about 2.76 million tonnes (Mt) biomass in the form of pellets are potentially available from forest-based biomass. Considering a processing capacity of 6 tonnes (t)/hr of a pellet plant, the production cost of the pellets was calculated to be $43.53/t. Pellets are generally used as fuel to produce thermal energy in industries, which helps to save the economy and the environment of the country. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nepal, a country rich in biomass, still does not have any commercial pellet production plants and is wasting large amounts of agricultural crop residue. The current study showed that about 5.61 million tonnes (Mt) of biomass in the form of pellets are potentially available from agricultural crop residues. The brick and cement industries could use these agro-pellets. Co-firing of pellets in such industries could play an important role in reducing the import volume of coal and minimize the related environmental loadings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Renewable energies, such as solar and wind energy, play a critical role in achieving rapid decarbonization to limit global warming by replacing fossil energy. However, lack of knowledge on renewable energy potentials in developing countries is a barrier in making adequate policies to promote these energies. Thus, we have carried out a spatial and economic analysis of solar and wind energy potential at the provincial level for the first time in Nepal. Our analysis is built upon the spatial energy modeling based on technical, geographical, and economic suitability criteria, utilizing open-source geographical information system platforms. A significant amount of renewable energy could be harnessed in Nepal, i.e., up to about 47,628 MW and 1,686 MW from solar and wind energy, respectively. Similarly, Nepal has a co-location potential of about 890 and 267 MW of solar and wind energy. Karnali and Gandaki provinces have the highest solar and wind energy potential due to a large share of suitable locations with good resource quality. We estimate the 10th percentile of Levelized cost of electricity generation of 91 USD/MWh for solar and 46 USD/MWh for wind. Our findings are helpful for the formulation of resource-specific policies of Nepal at a sub-national level. • We estimate Nepal's solar and wind energy potentials at the province level. • We categorize Nepal's solar and wind energy development in four phases. • Nepal can harness up to 47,628 MW of solar and 1,686 MW of wind energy. • The Annapurna Conservation Area has more than 60% of Nepal's wind energy potential. • Energy policies need to go beyond small-scale systems to utilize these potentials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]