Techno-economic optimization and environmental Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of Hybrid System Microgrids for Minimizing Grid Power Outages in Residential Areas

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

1 Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

2 Department of Agricultural Machinery Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran

3 School of Energy Engineering and Sustainable Resources College of Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran

Abstract

This study investigates the techno-economic and environmental performance of a hybrid renewable microgrid consisting of grid/ wind turbine / solar panels /electrolyzer/inverter/battery for mitigating power outages in Najafabad Isfahan. In this paper the environmental assessment utilizes a life cycle assessment (LCA) approach with ReCiPe 2016 and simulation, optimization and modeling procedures are done by HOMER software. Five different scenarios were considered for power outages. In the first scenario, blackouts occur without a set timetable influenced by governmental decisions and immediate requirements, reflecting the real condition of blackouts in Najaf Abad city. Cost of energy for scenarios 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 were calculated to be 0.0712, 0.0839, $0.0759, 0.0966, and 0.0777 $/kWh, respectively. Results show that if the government schedules power outages during sunny hours to compensate for capacity shortages in the national electricity grid, the utilization of large-scale renewables becomes more cost-effective. Scenario 3 is found to be the most sustainable energy system with a cost of energy of $0.0759/kWh by installing 34 wind turbines, 49844 kW of solar panels, 5000 kW of electrolyzers, 29268 kW of converters, 34500 kW hours of batteries and 116541.5 mWh per year of the national network. Furthermore, the comparative endpoint impacts of the five scenarios obtained by the ReCiPe 2016 method 36.38, 16, 17.20, 14.29 and 23.38 (mPt kWh -1) was reported, respectively and the fourth scenario with a 62 percent reduction in pollutants compared to the baseline scenario was recognized as the most sustainable scenario in terms of the environment.

Keywords

Main Subjects

EXTENDED ABSTRACT

 

Introduction

In recent years, Hybrid System Microgrids, have been getting considerable attention worldwide for maximum utilization of distributed energy resources. In order for a hybrid system to be technically feasible, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable, a set of technical, economic, and environmental factors must be considered. LCA is a practical method of evaluating the environmental effects of any product, as it identifies the impacts for a broad range of environmental categories. LCA analysis deals with the total inputs and outputs, material flows, and emissions at each stage of a product. It also analyzes the lifetime of a product, from the raw material extraction to manufacturing, usage and end-of-life waste disposal. This study proposes a multi-approach framework for developing operationally feasible, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable hybrid energy systems in residential Areas.

Material and Methods

The residential electrical load profile of Najaf Abad city was obtained from the city's power department. Two different methods were used in this research: one for optimal economic operation and another for environmentalimpact assessment of the hybrid System. The main mathematical formulation of PV, wind turbine, electrolyzer, battery, and economic objective were discussed. Different power outage scenarios were designed, and ultimately, five electricity generation scenarios were defined. This study analyzed the developed HESs using the widely accepted HOMER software. This program economically evaluated hybrid energy production systems based on technical and economic data of components, load profiles, and meteorological data. Also, the life cycle assessment analysis was performed based on the ReCiPe 2016 method. The HOMER surface plot sensitivity analysis tool was employed to determine the variations in COE and RF in response to changes in renewable resource potential.

Results and Discussion

The optimal sizing in each scenario is determined by comparing the COE. According to the obtained results, the cost of energy for scenarios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were $0/0712, $0/0839, $0/0759, $0/0966 and $0/0777 per kWh, respectively. The third scenario with the lowest energy cost was recognized as the optimal scenario. The ideal combination of hybrid system components for this scenario consists of 49,844 kW PV, 34,500 kWh battery bank, 29,268 kW converter, 34 wind turbine units, and a 5 MW electrolyzer. The percentage of participation of renewable resources in five scenarios was calculated as zero, 45/8%, 45/5%, 49/4% and 34% respectively. The initial capital costs for scenarios 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 were $0, $45/8, $45/5, 49/4 and $34 respectively. Global warming changed between 0/23 – 0/72 kg CO2 per kilowatt of electricity produced for different scenarios.The second scenario with a 52% reduction, the third scenario with a 58% reduction, the fourth scenario with a 70% reduction, and the fifth scenario with a 43% reduction in global warming compared to the first scenario showed the ability of these scenarios to use renewable resources in order to reduce greenhouse gas emissions .The total amounts of environmental pollutants in the five studied scenarios were calculated as 38/36, 16, 17/20, 14/29 and 23/38 (mPt kWh-1) respectively, and the fourth scenario was considered to be the most environmentally sustainable scenario.

Conclusions

In this paper, the techno-economic feasibility analysis and environmental Life Cycle Assessment of a hybrid renewable energy system was conducted to address power outages in residential areas. The results indicated that, if the government plans power outages during hours with suitable solar radiation (scenario three) renewable energy can be used to compensate for outages even from the Peak time of power outages. The highest percentage of renewable fraction was related to the fourth scenario (49/4%) due to the maximum use of wind turbines to compensate for power outages.

The fourth scenario, despite having the lowest amount of harmful environmental effects, has a higher energy cost than the other scenarios, and the choice of the best scenario depends on the opinion of the policy maker who considers the energy cost or prioritizes the environmental effects.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, M.Kh., Methodology, M.Kh., Software, M.S and M.A.V.R; Validation, H.Gh.M; Formal analysis, M.S and M.A.V.R; Investigation, M.S; Resources, H.Gh.M; Data Curation, M.S; Writing-original draft preparation, M.S; Writing-reviewing, and editing, H.Gh.M; Visualization, M.S; Supervision, M.Kh. and H.Gh.M; Project administration, M.Kh. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study will be available from the corresponding author on reasonable requests.

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to acknowledge for all supports by Najafabad Electricity power distribution company and Faculty of Agriculture, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran.

Ethical considerations

The study was approved by the Ethics Committee of the University of Tehran. authors avoided

data fabrication, falsification, plagiarism, and misconduct.

Conflict of interest

The author declares no conflict of interest.

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Iranian Journal of Biosystems Engineering
Volume 55, Issue 4
February 2025
Pages 81-102

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History

  • Receive Date: 04 December 2024
  • Revise Date: 09 March 2025
  • Accept Date: 08 April 2025

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