TITLE:
Energy Autonomy for Off-Grid Regions Using Hybrid Systems Based on Renewable Energy Generation
AUTHORS:
Nicodem Nisso, Emilienne Bogwarbe, Kitmo, Ngoussandou Bello-Pierre, Taissala Awe
KEYWORDS:
Renewable Resources, PV Plant, Hydropower, Homer Pro, Electricity Generation
JOURNAL NAME:
Smart Grid and Renewable Energy,
Vol.16 No.3,
March
31,
2025
ABSTRACT: Some localities in the three northern regions of Cameroon are still not connected to the electricity grids. However, most of these areas have significant potential for renewable energy sources such as wind, sunshine and water. These localities could take advantage of these resources for heating, electrification or telecommunications. Nevertheless, the implementation of such systems requires a detailed knowledge of the tools needed for analysis and technical and economic studies to ensure the feasibility of projects. In this article, a study is carried out in four localities with the aim of assessing the renewable energy potential with a view to proposing a multi-source power plant based on the renewable resources available at the chosen sites. The Bogor region was chosen as a location with a high potential for hydropower and photovoltaic energy. This compromise led to the configuration of a multi-source system consisting of a solar photovoltaic system and a hydraulic power plant. The test of the proposed system on the IEEE 33 bus standard shows that the power losses of the entire system are negligible and that the voltage profiles are acceptable. The technical and economic study of the project gives the values levelized cost of energy (LCOE) and the net present cost (NPC), which are respectively 0.025 USD/kWh and 163.547 USD/kWh. These performance indicators demonstrate the feasibility of delivering 178.854 MW of power from a system that is robust in terms of grid stability. The optimization of the multi-source power plant makes it possible to determine the size of the overall system using an objective function.