Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicle Integration into Rural Off-Grid Photovoltaic System in Kenya
In both rural and urban areas, two-wheeler vehicles are the most common means of transportation, contributing to local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Transitioning to electric two-wheeler vehicles can help reduce GHG emissions while also increasing the socioeconomic status of peop...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Energies |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/23/7956 |
| _version_ | 1797507851937120256 |
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| author | Aminu Bugaje Mathias Ehrenwirth Christoph Trinkl Wilfried Zörner |
| author_facet | Aminu Bugaje Mathias Ehrenwirth Christoph Trinkl Wilfried Zörner |
| author_sort | Aminu Bugaje |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In both rural and urban areas, two-wheeler vehicles are the most common means of transportation, contributing to local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Transitioning to electric two-wheeler vehicles can help reduce GHG emissions while also increasing the socioeconomic status of people in rural Kenya. Renewable energy systems can play a significant role in charging electric two-wheeled vehicles, resulting in lower carbon emissions and increased renewable energy penetration in rural Kenya. As a result, using the Conventional and Renewable Energy Optimization (CARNOT) Toolbox in the MATLAB/Simulink environment, this paper focuses on integrating and modeling electric two-wheeled vehicles (e-bikes) into an off-grid photovoltaic Water-Energy Hub located in the <i>Lake Victoria</i> Region of Western Kenya. Electricity demand data obtained from the Water-Energy Hub was investigated and analyzed. Potential solar energy surplus was identified and the surplus was used to incorporate the electric two-wheeler vehicles. The energy consumption of the electric two-wheeler vehicles was also measured in the field based on the rider’s driving behavior. The modeling results revealed an annual power consumption of 27,267 kWh, a photovoltaic (PV) electricity production of 37,785 kWh, and an electricity deficit of 370 kWh. The annual results show that PV generation exceeds power consumption, implying that there should be no electricity deficit. The results, however, do not represent the results in hourly resolution, ignoring the impact of weather fluctuation on PV production. As a result, in order to comprehend the electricity deficit, hourly resolution results are shown. A load optimization method was designed to efficiently integrate the electric 2-wheeler vehicle into the Water-Energy Hub in order to alleviate the electricity deficit. The yearly electricity deficit was decreased to 1 kWh and the annual electricity consumption was raised by 11% (i.e., 30,767 kWh), which is enough to charge four more electric two-wheeler batteries daily using the load optimization technique. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:54:18Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-6bec1c9c0149455b99ea0b2c1115ff33 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T04:54:18Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-6bec1c9c0149455b99ea0b2c1115ff332023-11-23T02:20:27ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732021-11-011423795610.3390/en14237956Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicle Integration into Rural Off-Grid Photovoltaic System in KenyaAminu Bugaje0Mathias Ehrenwirth1Christoph Trinkl2Wilfried Zörner3Institute of New Energy Systems, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, 85049 Ingolstadt, GermanyInstitute of New Energy Systems, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, 85049 Ingolstadt, GermanyInstitute of New Energy Systems, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, 85049 Ingolstadt, GermanyInstitute of New Energy Systems, Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt, 85049 Ingolstadt, GermanyIn both rural and urban areas, two-wheeler vehicles are the most common means of transportation, contributing to local air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Transitioning to electric two-wheeler vehicles can help reduce GHG emissions while also increasing the socioeconomic status of people in rural Kenya. Renewable energy systems can play a significant role in charging electric two-wheeled vehicles, resulting in lower carbon emissions and increased renewable energy penetration in rural Kenya. As a result, using the Conventional and Renewable Energy Optimization (CARNOT) Toolbox in the MATLAB/Simulink environment, this paper focuses on integrating and modeling electric two-wheeled vehicles (e-bikes) into an off-grid photovoltaic Water-Energy Hub located in the <i>Lake Victoria</i> Region of Western Kenya. Electricity demand data obtained from the Water-Energy Hub was investigated and analyzed. Potential solar energy surplus was identified and the surplus was used to incorporate the electric two-wheeler vehicles. The energy consumption of the electric two-wheeler vehicles was also measured in the field based on the rider’s driving behavior. The modeling results revealed an annual power consumption of 27,267 kWh, a photovoltaic (PV) electricity production of 37,785 kWh, and an electricity deficit of 370 kWh. The annual results show that PV generation exceeds power consumption, implying that there should be no electricity deficit. The results, however, do not represent the results in hourly resolution, ignoring the impact of weather fluctuation on PV production. As a result, in order to comprehend the electricity deficit, hourly resolution results are shown. A load optimization method was designed to efficiently integrate the electric 2-wheeler vehicle into the Water-Energy Hub in order to alleviate the electricity deficit. The yearly electricity deficit was decreased to 1 kWh and the annual electricity consumption was raised by 11% (i.e., 30,767 kWh), which is enough to charge four more electric two-wheeler batteries daily using the load optimization technique.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/23/7956<i>Lake Victoria</i>photovoltaicoff-gridmodelelectric two-wheeled vehicleWater-Energy Hub |
| spellingShingle | Aminu Bugaje Mathias Ehrenwirth Christoph Trinkl Wilfried Zörner Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicle Integration into Rural Off-Grid Photovoltaic System in Kenya Energies <i>Lake Victoria</i> photovoltaic off-grid model electric two-wheeled vehicle Water-Energy Hub |
| title | Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicle Integration into Rural Off-Grid Photovoltaic System in Kenya |
| title_full | Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicle Integration into Rural Off-Grid Photovoltaic System in Kenya |
| title_fullStr | Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicle Integration into Rural Off-Grid Photovoltaic System in Kenya |
| title_full_unstemmed | Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicle Integration into Rural Off-Grid Photovoltaic System in Kenya |
| title_short | Electric Two-Wheeler Vehicle Integration into Rural Off-Grid Photovoltaic System in Kenya |
| title_sort | electric two wheeler vehicle integration into rural off grid photovoltaic system in kenya |
| topic | <i>Lake Victoria</i> photovoltaic off-grid model electric two-wheeled vehicle Water-Energy Hub |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/14/23/7956 |
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