Energy Technology

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Browsing Energy Technology by Author "Bekele, Feyisa"

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    Feasibility Study of Power Generation Using Off- Grid Energy System from Micro Hydro-PV-Diesel Generator-Battery for Rural Area of Ethiopia: The Case of Indris River, Western Ethiopia
    (Addis Ababa University, 2017-08) Bekele, Feyisa; Edessa, Dribssa (PhD)
    In Ethiopia, electricity supply is extremely antiquated. When compared to other African countries, electric supply system and overall electric access in Ethiopia is very low. As in most Sub-Saharan Africa countries, Ethiopia experiences huge gap to access electric supply to urban and rural areas. Accordingly, Melkey Hera village is one of a rural community situated in Western Ethiopia, and experiences problems related to access to electric supply. In this village, extension of the grid is not yet practical. Therefore, the target of this paper is to investigate the viability of a micro hydro, Photo Voltaic (PV) and Diesel Generator-battery hybrid power system options to come up with the best techno-economic and optimum configuration for supplying electricity to this village. The study conducted by an assessment of the predicted village energy demand, the available renewable energy resources, and then using the software called HOMER. The optimal off- grid system design was established to combine hydro, solar PV, battery energy storage and diesel generator. This system demonstrated to be more reliable in operation, and the most cost-effective for the required level of service. The role of energy storage in system operation also demonstrated to offer additional operational advantages in-terms of reliability and cost savings. Overall, the design results show that the majority of energy obtained is from hydropower, which accounts 79%. The PV module covers 20%, and diesel generator is only 1% of the total load consumption. The renewable fraction (RF) of the project is 99%, which implies the total energy almost obtained from renewable system only and the system is environmentally friendly. The obtained hybrid system is cost competitive with $0.133/kWh, which is somewhat good to satisfy the community needs. However, this is more than current energy price in Ethiopia, which is $0.06/kWh. If due-merit is given to the electricity deficiency of the country, this higher cost should not be given concern. However, the project requires government subsidies to make service affordable. Finally, this study identified that off grid hybrid micro hydro-PV-DG-battery bank energy system is cost effective and environmentally friendly in delivering power for rural areas far from the grid. Moreover, the study provides valuable information to the government and Non-government organization (NGO) about the renewable energy potential of the country for a rural electrification project in Ethiopia. Keywords: Hybrid System, Renewable Energy, HOMER, Photovoltaic, Micro Hydro, Feasibility