585 research outputs found

    Optimal Management Of A Small Grid Connected Pv With Groundwater Pump Hydro Energy Storage For Farming In Arid Areas

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    Running a farm that solely depends on grid electricity, is not easy-going, considering the current state of electrical energy in our country (South Africa). Therefore, onsite electricity generation is achieved by using off-grid approaches, such as wind, diesel generator, conventional small hydro system and solar. However, due to high cost of diesel fuel, unavailability of continuous energy from the sun and wind, these energy generation methods may require extra energy storage systems in order to be considered as a reliable solution for onsite electricity generation for farming environment. Further combination and incorporation with various affordable energy generating sources, is a necessity in improving the grid’s economical management. This study used solar PV, incorporated with an underground pumped hydro storage (UPHS) system, whilst a borehole is used as a lower reservoir. An off-grid UPHS is a promising technology that may be used in any farming environment that has sufficient underground water. This technology is currently under development and lacks implementation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the possibilities of controlling and optimising the daily operation of the proposed grid-connected renewable energy system, by maximising the usage of the renewable resources, whilst minimising the use of grid electricity to supply the load demand of a farm, without any load supply shortage. The design and sizing of the proposed system was performed, using a Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER). The model formulation, effectiveness and economic analysis was performed and simulated, using linear programming with MATLAB software. Therefore, the simulation results reveal that using the developed model to optimally manage power generated by PV and the PHS, the cost of the electricity for farm operation may be reduced. Nonetheless, the study also raises awareness to the use of renewable energy in conjunction with grid electricity under TOU tariff rates. As well as water conservation and food production to boost our current economic status

    Integrated design of photovoltaic power generation plant with pumped hydro storage system and agricultural facilities in Uhuelem-Amoncha African community

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    Seasonal and location dependence of renewable energy resources have limited their applications in power generation. Energy storage systems are promising solutions to the intermittence of renewable energy resources. Rural electricity grids are faced with economic sustainability challenges due to low power demand and poverty. As countries hopefully pass through various stages of development, their needs change. The electricity needs of developing countries surely differ from those of developed economies. Most of the global population without access to electricity, and all the consequences of it, is found in developing countries. Energy access is undoubtedly a significant catalyst for development. Developed countries mainly require technologies to ensure energy security, resilience, and occasionally emission control. Therefore, microgrids are emerging technologies capable of supporting the diverse needs of various stages of development. For example, a rural grid design around economic drivers like agriculture and micro industries can mitigate poverty and improve economic sustainability of rural grids. This study presents an Integrated Design of Photovoltaic Power Generation Plant with Pumped Hydro Storage System and Agricultural Facilities in Uhuelem-Amoncha African Community. The design explored the natural availability of water body in an elevated settlement area that offers a natural storage height for hydro energy storage. HOMER (Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources) software was deployed to optimize the design. The designed photovoltaic power generation plant has a nominal capacity of 221 kW. The simulated results show the power supply probability of the plant as 99.9%. The cost of energy (COE) offered by the design is 0.456 [US$/kWh] which is 82% lower than the current cost of energy in the project community based on generation through petrol generators. The System has 100% renewable energy penetration. The plant is designed to power 50 households with a daily domestic energy consumption of 4.46 [kWh] each. The plant capacity also covers the irrigation water requirement of 50 acres of corn farms. A total of 100 units of designed intelligent pest control system will also be powered by the plant. A community refrigeration scheme of 27 [m3] equivalent volume is part of the plant design load. The benefits from the irrigation, water supply, pest control and refrigeration scheme will enhance the community’s socio-economic development and sustain the investment. Quantifying the integral socio-economic and environmental benefits is a subject of a future research

    Exploration of renewable sources for isolated systems

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    Providing universal access to electricity is a priority worldwide. Renewable Energy Sources (RES) play an important role in the supply of energy to rural and remote areas, where grid electricity is not available, or the cost of the grid extension is excessively. Isolated communities in the Amazon region of Ecuador are frequently far away from each other, formed by scattered housing, exhibit very low population density, and are surrounded by dense vegetation. Supplying such communities is typically done through small paths, fluvial access, and in few cases through small planes. Therefore, implementing transmission and distribution lines for supplying energy is costly and harmful to the environment. Hence, the use of RES represents a crucial opportunity for power generation purposes. Photovoltaic Home Systems (PVHS) are typically used to provide electricity to the dwellings in off-grid rural communities. However, Centralized Photovoltaic Systems (CPVS) with their own low voltage distribution network (LVDN) is also being considered as an alternative for rural electrification. This thesis presents a comprehensive review on the use of RES for electricity, by providing the main features of this technology, classification, and schematic diagrams of hybrid systems (HS) in order to satisfy the energy demand for a single or an entire group of households in rural areas. This research also evaluates the electrical supply through PVHS and through a CPVS to provide energy to the rural community of Yuwints in the Ecuadorian Amazon. The most suitable system is selected after a comparison of the Net Present Cost (NPC) of various renewables system e.g. PV-Battery systems, Wind-battery systems, PV-Wind-battery systems, etc. The techno economic analysis is carried out through the microgrid optimization software Homer Energy. The result of the present study proposes the CPVS as the best option for the electrical supply of the community, allowing a full coverage of the load and guaranteeing a safe operation of the syste

    Renewable Energy

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    This chapter presents an in-depth examination of major renewable energy technologies, including their installed capacity and energy supply in 2009 , the current state of market and technology development, their economic and financial feasibility in 2009 and in the near future, as well as major issues they may face relative to their sustainability or implementation. Renewable energy sources have been important for humankind since the beginning of civilization. For centuries, biomass has been used for heating, cooking, steam generation, and power production; solar energy has been used for heating and drying; geothermal energy has been used for hot water supplies; hydropower, for movement; and wind energy, for pumping and irrigation. For many decades renewable energy sources have also been used to produce electricity or other modern energy carriers

    Coherence between Water and Energy Policies

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    Hybrid energy system integration and management for solar energy: a review

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    The conventional grid is increasingly integrating renewable energy sources like solar energy to lower carbon emissions and other greenhouse gases. While energy management systems support grid integration by balancing power supply with demand, they are usually either predictive or real-time and therefore unable to utilise the full array of supply and demand responses, limiting grid integration of renewable energy sources. This limitation is overcome by an integrated energy management system. This review examines various concepts related to the integrated energy management system such as the power system configurations it operates in, and the types of supply and demand side responses. These concepts and approaches are particularly relevant for power systems that rely heavily on solar energy and have constraints on energy supply and costs. Building on from there, a comprehensive overview of current research and progress regarding the development of integrated energy management system frameworks, that have both predictive and real-time energy management capabilities, is provided. The potential benefits of an energy management system that integrates solar power forecasting, demand-side management, and supply-side management are explored. Furthermore, design considerations are proposed for creating solar energy forecasting models. The findings from this review have the potential to inform ongoing studies on the design and implementation of integrated energy management system, and their effect on power systems

    Supervisory model predictive control of building integrated renewable and low carbon energy systems

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    To reduce fossil fuel consumption and carbon emission in the building sector, renewable and low carbon energy technologies are integrated in building energy systems to supply all or part of the building energy demand. In this research, an optimal supervisory controller is designed to optimize the operational cost and the CO2 emission of the integrated energy systems. For this purpose, the building energy system is defined and its boundary, components (subsystems), inputs and outputs are identified. Then a mathematical model of the components is obtained. For mathematical modelling of the energy system, a unified modelling method is used. With this method, many different building energy systems can be modelled uniformly. Two approaches are used; multi-period optimization and hybrid model predictive control. In both approaches the optimization problem is deterministic, so that at each time step the energy consumption of the building, and the available renewable energy are perfectly predicted for the prediction horizon. The controller is simulated in three different applications. In the first application the controller is used for a system consisting of a micro-combined heat and power system with an auxiliary boiler and a hot water storage tank. In this application the controller reduces the operational cost and CO2 emission by 7.31 percent and 5.19 percent respectively, with respect to the heat led operation. In the second application the controller is used to control a farm electrification system consisting of PV panels, a diesel generator and a battery bank. In this application the operational cost with respect to the common load following strategy is reduced by 3.8 percent. In the third application the controller is used to control a hybrid off-grid power system consisting of PV panels, a battery bank, an electrolyzer, a hydrogen storage tank and a fuel cell. In this application the controller maximizes the total stored energies in the battery bank and the hydrogen storage tank

    Power Technologies Energy Data Book - Fourth Edition

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