Hybrid Energy Systems Model with the Inclusion of Energy Efficiency Measures: A Rural Application Perspective

way to the carbon footprint in the developing nations. Thus, the energy management initiative could assist in reducing the menace of greenhouse gas emission. Hence, the energy policy makers and planners have unanimously proposed adoption of demand side management (DSM) technique. Thus the adoption of energy efficiency technique (EET)-a DSM measures and hybrid energy system would be essential for rural electrification. This work investigates the effect of applying energy efficiency measures in rural electrification. A case study of an un-electrified rural settlement in Ibadan, Nigeria was considered. The utilization of EET techniques reduces the emission of CO2 by 62%, while the technical analysis indicates the possibility of a 100% renewable electricity production. Principally, the adoption of energy efficient techniques proved to be economically and environmentally friendly

Hybrid Power System for a Fuel Station Considering Temperature Coefficient

It is crystal clear that appropriate technical sizing has a significant effect on the techno-economic analysis of an off-grid standalone energy system. As a result, this study presents the effect of incorporating the temperature coefficient in the optimal analysis of an off-grid hybrid system using a standard fuel (gas) station in Nigeria as a case study. Comparative analysis with and without the temperature coefficient was performed. The results showed that the inclusion of temperature coefficient leads to extra operation hours of the generator which will result in an increase in fuel consumption and annual operation cost of the diesel generator. Also, the initial cost of the PV/BAT/diesel is relatively higher than the diesel generator but, the generating emission of the hybrid system is lower when compared to the diesel-only which enhances the atmospheric condition of the society

Hydrogen storage for micro-grid application: a framework for ranking fuel cell technologies based on technical parameters

To securely address energy shortage and various environmental issues attributed to fossil fuel, the adoption of renewable energy is growing across the globe. However, wind and solar which form the bulk of the emerging renewable energy for micro-grid applications are intermittent and need energy storage device for backup. Due to its environmentally friendly nature, the use of hydrogen as storage mechanism is now being explored for micro-grid applications. However, due to the various technical criteria attributed to various fuel cell (FC) technologies used for hydrogen production, selecting the most suitable alternative remains a challenge. This study uses evaluation based on distance from average solution, a multicriteria decision making tool to rank FC technologies that can be used to produce of hydrogen energy storage in micro-grid applications. The analysis was based on 4 FC technologies and 6 technical criteria. The results of the study show that the most preferred FC technology for micro-grid application is the polymeric electrolyte membrane while the least preferred is molten carbonate FC. It is expected that future analysis would explore the inclusion of socio-economic criteria in the evaluation of the most preferred FC technology for micro-grid application

Electricity Supply in Nigeria: Cost Comparison between Grid Power Tariff and Fossil-Powered Generator

Electricity supply in Nigeria is a huge problem with great economic and political consequences. After unbundling and privatization of generation and distribution companies, not much improvement has been experienced by electricity consumers; this is due to lack of investment in infrastructure. Lack of investment in infrastructure especially from private investors is caused largely by non-cost reflective tariff among other factors highlighted in this study. While many believe tariff has to be controlled such that it does not go beyond the reach of average citizens, many also believe that the average citizens can pay much more than the current tariff. The latter is evident considering the average amount spend on the use of portable gasoline generators by most homes and small enterprises both in rural and urban centers. The whole life cost method is used to show here that it costs a home or business premise that operates a portable gasoline generator for 6 h daily NGN 37,000/ month and costs NGN 157,000 to operate 20 kVA diesel generator. This shows the consumers’ capacity to pay the appropriate tariff that can attract investors to the sector

Harnessing Renewable Energy for Sustainable Agricultural Applications

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development suggests that all countries both developed and developing strive to attain the seventeen sustainable development goals (SDGs). Some items on the SDGs like implementation of renewable energy technologies to electrify regions disconnected from power grids are targeted to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger while ensuring environmental sustainability. Hence, the role of integrated renewable energy in improving the productivity and environmental sustainability of the agricultural sector cannot be overemphasized. This paper presents a brief survey of the application of renewable energy resources technologies in the agricultural sector

Hybrid Energy Systems Model with the Inclusion of Energy Efficiency Measures: A Rural Application Perspective

The wide energy supply/demand gap has led the developing economies to the operation of the captive generators. This has contributed in no small way to the carbon footprint in the developing nations. Thus, the energy management initiative could assist in reducing the menace of greenhouse gas emission.  Hence, the energy policy makers and planners have unanimously proposed adoption of demand side management (DSM) technique. Thus the adoption of energy efficiency technique (EET)-a DSM measures and hybrid energy system would be essential for rural electrification. This work investigates the effect of applying energy efficiency measures in rural electrification. A case study of an un-electrified rural settlement in Ibadan, Nigeria was considered. The utilization of EET techniques reduces the emission of CO2 by 62%, while technical analysis shows the feasibility of a 100% renewable fraction electricity production. Principally, application of energy efficient techniques proved to be economically and environmentally friendly. Keywords: Energy efficiency measures; emission reduction; hybrid energy system; net present cost; renewable energy JEL Classifications: Q4, P2

Environmental and Societal Impact of Nanotechnology

The ability to measure, understand, manipulate, organize, engineer and control matter on the nanoscale has been opening up the wealth of possibilities that were otherwise non - existent at higher scales. At this scale, basic research principles and tools in biology, physics, chemistry, and engineering converge and have led to all-inclusive applications of nanotechnology. Despite the innovative applications and promising potentials of nanotechnology, there are concerns about its short and long-lasting impacts on humans, nature and the environment. In an attempt to address these concerns, a number of researches have been conducted. Evaluations of studies addressing the issues of nanotechnologies and their impacts are necessary to give insights for further studies that will advance the technology for the true benefit of mankind and nature. This study, thus, provides a detailed review of studies on nanotechnology applications and the positions of stakeholders on the impact of nanotechnology. Among other things, the outcome of this survey shows that there are numerous successful applications of nanotechnology. Public perceptions are pivotal in determining the extent of revolution and transformation that nanotechnology will have on the environment. Religious beliefs and moral concerns; trust in governmental regulatory agencies and the industry; the level of inclusion of the society in the product design, development, and commercialization process is critical to the extent of acceptance of nanotechnology inventions. Expression of objective views concerning the benefits, limitations & risks, and adequate education of the public, risk regulators & all stakeholders are crucial in determining the fate of nanotechnolog

Off-grid hybrid renewable energy system for rural healthcare centers: A case study in Nigeria

Presented in this study is an optimal hybrid renewable off-grid energy system model that supplies a typical rural healthcare center across the six regions in Nigeria. A technical and economic evaluation was carried out to identify the optimal off-grid hybrid energy system combination based on photovoltaic (PV), wind, diesel generator and battery. Due to governments’ fuel subsidy in many developing countries, the pump price of fuel is reduced and not a true reflection of what is obtainable in a deregulated market. In order to comprehensively capture the reality, the study considered the effect of subsidy removal by carrying out a sensitivity analysis on the fuel pump price. Therefore, the impact of a change in diesel fuel pump price and interest rates on the economic performance criteria of the optimal configuration is explored. Results show that across all the locations considered, PV/diesel/battery system is the most economically viable with a net present cost and renewable fraction (RF) ranging between $12 779 and$13 646 and 70%-80% respectively. The cost of energy (COE) is also estimated to range between 0.507 and 0.542 $/kWh

Techno-economic assessment of photovoltaicdiesel generator-battery energy system for base transceiver stations loads in Nigeria

There are over 50,000 telecommunication base transceiver stations (BTS) operating on conventional diesel generators across Nigeria, giving rise to a high operational cost and emission of Greenhouse gases which can be minimized by the adoption of greener energy generation. Presented in this study, is an analysis of the techno-economic and emission impact of a stand-alone hybrid energy system designed for base transceiver stations (BTS) in the Nigerian telecom industry. Using various performance criteria the feasibility of adopting hybrid photovoltaic-diesel generator and battery (PV/DG/Battery) system is analyzed under two different diesel pump price regimes. In all, it is observed that all BTS locations across the six geopolitical zones could adopt PV/battery/DG hybrid renewable energy system in place of the diesel generator (DG) which is, presently, the main technology being used across the BTSs. Besides its economic advantages over the diesel generator, HRES configurations also performed better with respect to diesel consumption and carbon dioxide (CO2) emission

Feasibility analysis of an off-grid photovoltaic-battery energy system for a farm facility

Renewable energy plays a very important role in the improvement and promotion of environmental sustainability in agricultural-related activities. This paper evaluates the techno-economic and environmental benefits of deploying photovoltaic (PV)- battery systems in a livestock farmhouse. For the energy requirements of the farm to be determined, a walkthrough energy audit is conducted on the farmhouse. The farm selected for this study is located in southern Nigeria. The National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Hybrid Optimization Modeling for Electric Renewable (HOMER) software was adapted for the purpose of the techno-economic analysis. It is found that a standalone PV/battery-powered system in farmhouse applications has higher economic viability when compared to its diesel-powered counterparts in terms of total net present cost (TNPC). A saving of 48% is achievable over the TNPC and Cost of Energy with zero emissions. The results obtained show the numerous benefits of replacing diesel generators with renewable energy sources such as PV-battery systems in farming applications