Optimal Design of Independent Mini Hydro-photovoltaic-battery-diesel Hybrid Power System for Erin-ijesha Water Fall, Nigeria

In order to provide a sustainable energy system, especially in rural areas where grid electricity is not economically or geographically feasible, renewable energy sources appear to be one of the most effective solutions. However, the fluctuating nature and the high cost of kWhr units produced make the system unreliable and not easily affordable to the rural dwellers. This paper discussed the feasibility of renewable energy hybrid system and proposed a reliable independent Hybrid Power System (HPS) for rural application in Nigeria. Erin-Ijesha a typical rural village in Osun State, Nigeria was used as a case study. Solar irradiation, the hydro potential of the waterfall and load patterns were collected and analyzed for the study area. The electrical load for the village was estimated through the use of questionnaires. HOMER energy modeling software was used to develop the simulation models. The optimized results showed that mini-hydro-photovoltaic-battery combination with Cost of Energy, COE of $0.218/kWh is better than any other combinations considered in the work. It was revealed that purchasing electricity from the grid is better than any other hybrid combinations in terms of COE at $0.121/kWh. Nevertheless, from the result obtained, the HPS is considered cost-efficient and reliable in such rural areas especially where grid extension is geographically or economically infeasible.