Energy, Economic, and Environmental Evaluation of a Proposed Solar-Wind Power On-grid System Using HOMER Pro<sup>®</sup>: A Case Study in Colombia
The electrical sector in the Caribbean region of Colombia is currently facing problems that affect its reliability. Many thermo-electric plants are required to fill the gap and ensure energy supply. This paper thus proposes a hybrid renewable energy generation plant that could supply a percentage of...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2020-04-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/7/1662 |
| _version_ | 1797571604721434624 |
|---|---|
| author | Farid Antonio Barrozo Budes Guillermo Valencia Ochoa Luis Guillermo Obregon Adriana Arango-Manrique José Ricardo Núñez Álvarez |
| author_facet | Farid Antonio Barrozo Budes Guillermo Valencia Ochoa Luis Guillermo Obregon Adriana Arango-Manrique José Ricardo Núñez Álvarez |
| author_sort | Farid Antonio Barrozo Budes |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The electrical sector in the Caribbean region of Colombia is currently facing problems that affect its reliability. Many thermo-electric plants are required to fill the gap and ensure energy supply. This paper thus proposes a hybrid renewable energy generation plant that could supply a percentage of the total energy demand and reduce the environmental impact of conventional energy generation. The hybrid plant works with a photovoltaic (PV) system and wind turbine systems, connected in parallel with the grid to supply a renewable fraction of the total energy demand. The investigation was conducted in three steps: the first stage determined locations where the energy system was able to take advantage of renewable sources, the second identified a location that could work more efficiently from an economic perspective, and finally, the third step estimated the number of PV solar panels and wind turbines required to guarantee optimal functioning for this location using, as a main method of calculation, the software HOMER pro<sup>®</sup> for hybrid optimization with multiple energy resources. The proposed system is expected to not only limit environmental impacts but also decrease total costs of electric grid consumption from thermoelectric plants. The simulations helped identify Puerto Bolivar, Colombia, as the location where the hybrid plant made the best use of non-conventional resources of energy. However, Rancho Grande was found to offer the system more efficiency, while generating a considerable amount of energy at the lowest possible cost. An optimal combination was also obtained—441 PV arrays and 3 wind turbines, resulting in a net present cost (NPC) of $11.8 million and low CO<sub>2</sub> production of 244.1 tons per year. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:43:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9039925956c1450791c62c876671bbad |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T20:43:05Z |
| publishDate | 2020-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-9039925956c1450791c62c876671bbad2023-11-19T20:33:33ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732020-04-01137166210.3390/en13071662Energy, Economic, and Environmental Evaluation of a Proposed Solar-Wind Power On-grid System Using HOMER Pro<sup>®</sup>: A Case Study in ColombiaFarid Antonio Barrozo Budes0Guillermo Valencia Ochoa1Luis Guillermo Obregon2Adriana Arango-Manrique3José Ricardo Núñez Álvarez4Mechanical Engineering Department, Universidad del Atlántico, Carrera 30 Número 8-49, Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080007, ColombiaMechanical Engineering Department, Universidad del Atlántico, Carrera 30 Número 8-49, Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080007, ColombiaResearch Group on Sustainable Chemical and Biochemical Processes, Chemical Engineering Department, Universidad del Atlántico, Carrera 30 Número 8-49, Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080007, ColombiaElectrical and Electronic Engineering Department, Universidad del Norte, Km 5 Vía Puerto Colombia, Barranquilla 080007, ColombiaEnergy Department, Universidad de la Costa, Calle 58 Número 55- 66, Barranquilla 080002, ColombiaThe electrical sector in the Caribbean region of Colombia is currently facing problems that affect its reliability. Many thermo-electric plants are required to fill the gap and ensure energy supply. This paper thus proposes a hybrid renewable energy generation plant that could supply a percentage of the total energy demand and reduce the environmental impact of conventional energy generation. The hybrid plant works with a photovoltaic (PV) system and wind turbine systems, connected in parallel with the grid to supply a renewable fraction of the total energy demand. The investigation was conducted in three steps: the first stage determined locations where the energy system was able to take advantage of renewable sources, the second identified a location that could work more efficiently from an economic perspective, and finally, the third step estimated the number of PV solar panels and wind turbines required to guarantee optimal functioning for this location using, as a main method of calculation, the software HOMER pro<sup>®</sup> for hybrid optimization with multiple energy resources. The proposed system is expected to not only limit environmental impacts but also decrease total costs of electric grid consumption from thermoelectric plants. The simulations helped identify Puerto Bolivar, Colombia, as the location where the hybrid plant made the best use of non-conventional resources of energy. However, Rancho Grande was found to offer the system more efficiency, while generating a considerable amount of energy at the lowest possible cost. An optimal combination was also obtained—441 PV arrays and 3 wind turbines, resulting in a net present cost (NPC) of $11.8 million and low CO<sub>2</sub> production of 244.1 tons per year.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/7/1662solar energywind energyenergy efficiencyenvironmental impacteconomic evaluationon-grid system |
| spellingShingle | Farid Antonio Barrozo Budes Guillermo Valencia Ochoa Luis Guillermo Obregon Adriana Arango-Manrique José Ricardo Núñez Álvarez Energy, Economic, and Environmental Evaluation of a Proposed Solar-Wind Power On-grid System Using HOMER Pro<sup>®</sup>: A Case Study in Colombia Energies solar energy wind energy energy efficiency environmental impact economic evaluation on-grid system |
| title | Energy, Economic, and Environmental Evaluation of a Proposed Solar-Wind Power On-grid System Using HOMER Pro<sup>®</sup>: A Case Study in Colombia |
| title_full | Energy, Economic, and Environmental Evaluation of a Proposed Solar-Wind Power On-grid System Using HOMER Pro<sup>®</sup>: A Case Study in Colombia |
| title_fullStr | Energy, Economic, and Environmental Evaluation of a Proposed Solar-Wind Power On-grid System Using HOMER Pro<sup>®</sup>: A Case Study in Colombia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Energy, Economic, and Environmental Evaluation of a Proposed Solar-Wind Power On-grid System Using HOMER Pro<sup>®</sup>: A Case Study in Colombia |
| title_short | Energy, Economic, and Environmental Evaluation of a Proposed Solar-Wind Power On-grid System Using HOMER Pro<sup>®</sup>: A Case Study in Colombia |
| title_sort | energy economic and environmental evaluation of a proposed solar wind power on grid system using homer pro sup r sup a case study in colombia |
| topic | solar energy wind energy energy efficiency environmental impact economic evaluation on-grid system |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/13/7/1662 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT faridantoniobarrozobudes energyeconomicandenvironmentalevaluationofaproposedsolarwindpowerongridsystemusinghomerprosupsupacasestudyincolombia AT guillermovalenciaochoa energyeconomicandenvironmentalevaluationofaproposedsolarwindpowerongridsystemusinghomerprosupsupacasestudyincolombia AT luisguillermoobregon energyeconomicandenvironmentalevaluationofaproposedsolarwindpowerongridsystemusinghomerprosupsupacasestudyincolombia AT adrianaarangomanrique energyeconomicandenvironmentalevaluationofaproposedsolarwindpowerongridsystemusinghomerprosupsupacasestudyincolombia AT josericardonunezalvarez energyeconomicandenvironmentalevaluationofaproposedsolarwindpowerongridsystemusinghomerprosupsupacasestudyincolombia |