Hybrid Renewable Energy System potentials in rural areas: A case of Zambia

Abstract

The use of conventional system such as hydropower plant is no longer sufficient to meet the increasing demand for electricity in Lusaka, Zambia. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate a hybrid system using the available renewable resources (biomass, wind, and solar) in Misisi rural area. To achieve this, a techno-economic analysis is conducted using HOMER Software. The results obtained showed that the hybrid system produces an output power of 73,577 kWh/yr for an estimated consumption of about 60,386 kWh/yr. Moreover, in the hybrid system, the efficiencies of the biomass, solar PV, and wind generators are 37%, 26.9%, and 36.1% respectively. The estimated total capital cost of the whole system is 151,708.84 USD. Conclusively, the results obtained showed that Zambia has the required renewable energy to produce power that can be used to supplement the conventional systems. These findings also revealed that by increasing the uptake of off-grid projects in rural areas in Africa, could lead to many benefits such as improved education, time saving, and job creation.

Keywords: Solar PV, Wind, Biomass, Energy access, Electricity.