Techno-economic evaluation of the centralized hybrid renewable energy systems for off-grid rural electrification

Pakistan is an energy deficient country and the current power crisis of Pakistan is hampering its economic development. Pakistan is naturally benefitted with different renewable energy resources; out of which solar and wind energy are the main highlights. This research work will provide an assessment of the renewable energy potential of the Baluchistan region. A comparison of the economic and financial analysis for a centralized hybrid renewable energy system has been simulated by using Homer software. Three cases have been proposed in which centralized standalone solar PV system, centralized standalone wind energy system and a hybrid combination of both centralized standalone solar and wind energy system have been studied. Homer software has been used to devise the most optimal solution. The simulations confirm that the best optimal solution is the hybrid renewable energy system for the rural electrification of the proposed region. © 2016 SERSC.