Feasibility Study for Off-Grid Hybrid Power Systems Considering an Energy Efficiency Initiative for an Island in Ecuador

This paper shows the technical-economic, operational and environmental feasibility of four off-grid hybrid power systems to supply energy to the Cerrito de los Morrenos community in Ecuador. These configurations consist of combinations of diesel generators, solar photovoltaic systems, and battery energy storage systems. Each configuration was simulated and the results were analyzed for two different load conditions: (1) the existing load profile and (2) a reduced load profile by incorporating an energy efficiency initiative. Homer Pro software was used to perform the simulations. The planning horizon for the simulations was selected to be 15 years. The results showed the diesel/photovoltaic/battery configuration with energy efficiency showed the best performance, which was achieved with a photovoltaic system of 160 kWp, the existing generator of 165 kW and a storage system of 283 kWh. The stand-alone diesel generator and photovoltaic/diesel configurations showed higher Net Present Costs, instability problems and higher CO2 emissions. Additionally, the configurations without energy efficiency had increases of between 15% and 40% higher costs compared to their respective energy-efficient scenarios. The information in this work could be useful for some organizations in Ecuador who are interested in investing in rural electrification projects with renewable energy to reduce and/or compensate their CO2 emissions.