Document Type : Research Paper
Authors
1
Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
2
Assistant professor, Department of Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz, Iran
10.22059/ijbse.2026.412623.665646
Abstract
Given the high electricity consumption and associated costs at water pumping stations in large industries, and the necessity of transitioning to sustainable and clean energy sources, this study investigates the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of constructing a 1633 kWp photovoltaic (PV) power plant to supply a water pumping station at the Debel Khozaei Sugarcane Agro-Industrial Company as a case study. The PV system performance was simulated with PVsyst, and the output data were imported into HOMER Pro for comprehensive analysis. Seven scenarios were evaluated, combining 5-hour and 24-hour operational schedules with configurations including grid-connected, simultaneous load supply and grid injection, and with or without battery storage and a diesel generator, to accurately model generation-demand interactions. The results indicated that the grid-connected configuration without storage for a 5-hour daily load is optimal. In this scenario, the system generates 2,802,808 kWh/year, meeting 81.4% of the station’s demand. Approximately 30% of the generated energy (1,001,398 kWh/year) is injected into the grid, while 18.6% of the load (640,440 kWh) is supplied by the grid. The environmental assessment shows an annual reduction of 207,190 kg CO2-equivalent. From an economic perspective, with an initial investment of $647,000, this scenario yields a return on investment (ROI) of 6.8%, an internal rate of return (IRR) of 10.6%, and a payback period of 8.23 years.
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