Techno-economic analysis of solar tracker-based hybrid energy systems in a rural residential building: A case study in South Africa.

Photovoltaic (PV) panel has received attention due to its environmental advantages; however, It has yet to achieve the desired efficiency and economic maturity. In this regard, PV tracking techniques play a pivotal role in maximizing the performance of the PV system. The main objective of this paper is to determine the optimal scenario for obtaining the highest efficiency and profitability for a rural household in Africa. The tracking options include fixed-tilt (FT), horizontal axis (HM), vertical axis (HV), and dual-axis tracker (DA) using to discover the lowest cost between LF and CC dispatch strategies. The optimal solution according to the lowest net present cost (NPC) as an optimization indicator is identified, and then sensitivity analysis is conducted to generalize the results for other technical, economic, and climate conditions. The FT-based solution indicates the profitable option with NPC, levelized energy cost (LCOE), and CO₂ emissions of $13.7k, $0.258/kWh, and 281.11 kg/year, respectively. The increase in SOC_min values would escalate reliance on the DG to meet the required load, resulting in higher NPC and CO₂ emissions. The highest and lowest increase of NPC by raising fuel price is found under DA and FT trackers, respectively. PV production and the renewable fraction of FT-based and HM-based hybrid systems are more sensitive to changing albedo. Comparison with the previous paper also shows that the optimal HES has $58k and $0.005/kWh lower values of NPC and LCOE, respectively, to satisfy the same load demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]