Design and modeling of hybrid photovoltaic micro-hydro power for Al-Bakur road lighting: A case study

Al-Marj is located about 100 km from Benghazi, and it has a rugged mountainous terrain. The grid extensionmakesit impractical in some places, and off-grid electricity the best option. In this study, the feasibility of a small hybrid electrical Micro-hydro/Photovoltaic/battery supply system for road lighting was analyzed. The reservoir's water potential is analyzed as well as meteorological data collected from NASA. The initial reservoir flow data was taken for accurate hydropower modeling located at the start of the slope by measuring the total height with the help of GPS (Geographical Positioning System) and flow data obtained from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation. The average flow rate is 0.46 m3/s. HOMER software was used to model and analyze data for a hybrid power generation system. The study included the electrical load for lighting the road with 100 poles powered by solar energy with a LED lamp. From the HOMER program result, 30 KW PV and 0.9 KW Hydro was selected. It has an initial energy cost of $0.032 per kilowatt-hour, much lower than the network system capital cost for such particular site. For a distance of more than three kilometers, the government network can use no lighting.