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Performance analysis of photovoltaic, hydrokinetic, and hybrid diesel systems for rural electrification in Malaysian Borneo

DOI:10.1007/s10668-020-00872-1
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Kwan Yiew Lau at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Kwan Yiew Lau
C. W. Tan
C. W. Tan
C. W. Tan
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Abstract and Figures

The current work compares the feasibility of using a non-renewable system, a standalone renewable system, and a hybrid renewable system to power up a remote community in Malaysian Borneo. The analysis shows that both the photovoltaic (PV) and hydrokinetic systems can be used to generate renewable electricity, either as a standalone or a hybrid system. Specifically, using a non-renewable system (50 kW standalone diesel system) based on a conventionally high diesel price ($ 1.482/L) resulted in a high net present cost (NPC) of $ 1.788 million. In contrast, a standalone renewable system, i.e., a 280 kW standalone PV system, resulted in a lower NPC ($ 1.615 million) than the standalone diesel system, and it can cater for highly fluctuated solar output with 100% renewables generation. Alternatively, the use of a hybrid PV/hydrokinetic system with a 100 kW PV, 60 kW hydrokinetic turbines, and an 85 kW converter was both economically and technically feasible (with $ 1.714 million NPC), with low water speed. Meanwhile, the use of a hybrid PV/diesel system with 60 kW PV, a 50 kW converter, 120 batteries, and a backup diesel generator could effectively reduce the dependence of electricity generation on diesel supply and resulted in the lowest NPC ($ 1.129 million) among all the analyzed system types. Significantly, the current work demonstrates that the use of PV and hydrokinetic renewable sources of energy in Malaysian Borneo is feasible and deserves more attention to electrify remote communities in Malaysian Borneo.
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Vol.:(0123456789)
Environment, Development and Sustainability (2021) 23:6279–6300
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10668-020-00872-1
1 3
Performance analysis ofphotovoltaic, hydrokinetic,
andhybrid diesel systems forrural electrification
inMalaysian Borneo
K.Y.Lau1,2· C.W.Tan2
Received: 16 May 2019 / Accepted: 7 July 2020 / Published online: 14 July 2020
© Springer Nature B.V. 2020
Abstract
The current work compares the feasibility of using a non-renewable system, a standalone
renewable system, and a hybrid renewable system to power up a remote community in
Malaysian Borneo. The analysis shows that both the photovoltaic (PV) and hydrokinetic
systems can be used to generate renewable electricity, either as a standalone or a hybrid
system. Specifically, using a non-renewable system (50 kW standalone diesel system)
based on a conventionally high diesel price ($ 1.482/L) resulted in a high net present cost
(NPC) of $ 1.788million. In contrast, a standalone renewable system, i.e., a 280kW stan-
dalone PV system, resulted in a lower NPC ($ 1.615million) than the standalone diesel
system, and it can cater for highly fluctuated solar output with 100% renewables genera-
tion. Alternatively, the use of a hybrid PV/hydrokinetic system with a 100kW PV, 60kW
hydrokinetic turbines, and an 85kW converter was both economically and technically fea-
sible (with $ 1.714 million NPC), with low water speed. Meanwhile, the use of a hybrid
PV/diesel system with 60kW PV, a 50kW converter, 120 batteries, and a backup diesel
generator could effectively reduce the dependence of electricity generation on diesel sup-
ply and resulted in the lowest NPC ($ 1.129million) among all the analyzed system types.
Significantly, the current work demonstrates that the use of PV and hydrokinetic renewable
sources of energy in Malaysian Borneo is feasible and deserves more attention to electrify
remote communities in Malaysian Borneo.
Keywords Photovoltaic· Hydrokinetic· Diesel· Renewable energy· Rural electrification·
HOMER
* K. Y. Lau
kwanyiew@utm.my
1 Institute ofHigh Voltage andHigh Current, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310JohorBahru,
Malaysia
2 School ofElectrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310JohorBahru, Malaysia
Content courtesy of Springer Nature, terms of use apply. Rights reserved.
... They have successfully been employed for case studies covering developing countries, see, e.g. Vendoti et al. (2021), Lau and Tan (2021), and Gebrehiwot et al. (2019). However, these tools often focus on the electric infrastructure, with only secondarily treating thermal loads. ...
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