Techno-economic analysis of grid-integrated PV/wind systems for electricity reliability enhancement in Ethiopian industrial park

In most developing countries, the electricity supply system is highly unreliable. Ethiopia is one of the least developed country in the world, and the existing distribution system of the country has encountered frequent power interruptions. During this interruption, diesel generator supplied the critical load of most industries in the country. This paper examines the feasibility of integrating PV/wind power systems into existing unreliable grid/diesel generator systems for supplying the critical loads of industrial parks in three different regions of Ethiopia. The study focused on how to provide a reliable supply with cost-effective and environment-friendly resources. Based on load variation, grid interruption, and meteorological data of the study areas, modeling and techno-economic analysis of grid-connected PV/wind/diesel systems were carried out using HOMER Pro software by exploring four different scenarios involving the consideration of unscheduled outages. Results showed that grid//diesel/PV/battery systems are technically, economically, and environmentally feasible for all three climate regions with the cost of energy at 0.044, 0.049, and 0.048 $/kWh, respectively. Also found that excess electricity, cost of energy, and the net present cost is slightly increased with PV penetration, whereas the CO2 emissions for these locations decreased by 45%, 44%, and 42% compared to the existing systems.