Techno-Economic Assessment of Renewable Energy-based Microgrids in the Amazon Remote Communities in Ecuador

Jean Michel Clairand; Xavier Serrano-Guerrero; Andrés González-Zumba; Guillermo Escrivá-Escrivá

doi:10.1002/ente.202100746

Techno-Economic Assessment of Renewable Energy-based Microgrids in the Amazon Remote Communities in Ecuador

Jean Michel Clairand, Xavier Serrano-Guerrero, Andrés González-Zumba, Guillermo Escrivá-Escrivá

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

Several remote communities have limited electricity access and are mainly dependent on environmentally damaging fossil fuels. The installation of microgrid networks and green energy initiatives are currently addressing this issue. Thus, the techno-economic assessment of a microgrid that comprises photovoltaic arrays, a micro-hydro turbine, and diesel generation is proposed herein. Two scenarios are evaluated considering the inclusion or not of diesel generation. This model is performed in HOMER. The results demonstrate that the best option in economics is to invest in a PV/hydro/diesel microgrid, resulting in an net present cost of 2.33 M$, and a cost of energy of 0.194 $ kWh⁻¹. Furthermore, to address diesel price uncertainties, a sensitivity analysis is carried out based on three different projected diesel prices.

Original language	English
Journal	Energy Technology
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/ente.202100746
State	Accepted/In press - 2021

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 Wiley-VCH GmbH

Keywords

distributed energy resources
hydro turbines
microgrid planning
renewable energy
rural electrification

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1002/ente.202100746

Cite this

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title = "Techno-Economic Assessment of Renewable Energy-based Microgrids in the Amazon Remote Communities in Ecuador",

abstract = "Several remote communities have limited electricity access and are mainly dependent on environmentally damaging fossil fuels. The installation of microgrid networks and green energy initiatives are currently addressing this issue. Thus, the techno-economic assessment of a microgrid that comprises photovoltaic arrays, a micro-hydro turbine, and diesel generation is proposed herein. Two scenarios are evaluated considering the inclusion or not of diesel generation. This model is performed in HOMER. The results demonstrate that the best option in economics is to invest in a PV/hydro/diesel microgrid, resulting in an net present cost of 2.33 M$, and a cost of energy of 0.194 $ kWh−1. Furthermore, to address diesel price uncertainties, a sensitivity analysis is carried out based on three different projected diesel prices.",

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author = "Clairand, {Jean Michel} and Xavier Serrano-Guerrero and Andr{\'e}s Gonz{\'a}lez-Zumba and Guillermo Escriv{\'a}-Escriv{\'a}",

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doi = "10.1002/ente.202100746",

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journal = "Energy Technology",

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T1 - Techno-Economic Assessment of Renewable Energy-based Microgrids in the Amazon Remote Communities in Ecuador

AU - Clairand, Jean Michel

AU - Serrano-Guerrero, Xavier

AU - González-Zumba, Andrés

AU - Escrivá-Escrivá, Guillermo

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - Several remote communities have limited electricity access and are mainly dependent on environmentally damaging fossil fuels. The installation of microgrid networks and green energy initiatives are currently addressing this issue. Thus, the techno-economic assessment of a microgrid that comprises photovoltaic arrays, a micro-hydro turbine, and diesel generation is proposed herein. Two scenarios are evaluated considering the inclusion or not of diesel generation. This model is performed in HOMER. The results demonstrate that the best option in economics is to invest in a PV/hydro/diesel microgrid, resulting in an net present cost of 2.33 M$, and a cost of energy of 0.194 $ kWh−1. Furthermore, to address diesel price uncertainties, a sensitivity analysis is carried out based on three different projected diesel prices.

AB - Several remote communities have limited electricity access and are mainly dependent on environmentally damaging fossil fuels. The installation of microgrid networks and green energy initiatives are currently addressing this issue. Thus, the techno-economic assessment of a microgrid that comprises photovoltaic arrays, a micro-hydro turbine, and diesel generation is proposed herein. Two scenarios are evaluated considering the inclusion or not of diesel generation. This model is performed in HOMER. The results demonstrate that the best option in economics is to invest in a PV/hydro/diesel microgrid, resulting in an net present cost of 2.33 M$, and a cost of energy of 0.194 $ kWh−1. Furthermore, to address diesel price uncertainties, a sensitivity analysis is carried out based on three different projected diesel prices.

KW - distributed energy resources

KW - hydro turbines

KW - microgrid planning

KW - renewable energy

KW - rural electrification

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DO - 10.1002/ente.202100746

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JO - Energy Technology

JF - Energy Technology

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Techno-Economic Assessment of Renewable Energy-based Microgrids in the Amazon Remote Communities in Ecuador

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

UN SDGs

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