Meeting Temporary Facility Energy Demand with Climate-Optimized Off-Grid Energy Systems

Abstract

Remote and contingency operations, including military and disaster-relief activities, often require the use of temporary facilities powered by inefficient diesel generators that are expensive to operate and maintain. Site planners can reduce operating costs by increasing shelter insulation and augmenting generators with photovoltaic-battery hybrid energy systems, but they must select the optimal design configuration based on the region’s climate to meet the power demand at the lowest cost. To assist planners, this paper proposes an innovative, climate-optimized, hybrid energy system selection model capable of selecting the facility insulation type, solar array size, and battery backup system to minimize the annual operating cost. To demonstrate the model’s capability in various climates, model performance was evaluated for applications in southwest Asia and the Caribbean. For a facility in Southwest Asia, the model reduced fuel consumption by 93% and saved $271 thousand compared to operating a diesel generator. The simulated facility in the Caribbean resulted in more significant savings, decreasing fuel consumption by 92$291 thousand. This capability is expected to support planners of remote sites in their ongoing effort to minimize fuel supply requirements and annual operating costs of temporary facilities