The Investigation of Grid Extension Versus Standalone Hybrid Renewable Energy System in Saudi Arabia: A Case Study
Annotatsiya
One of the challenges in supplying electricity to remote areas is deciding whether to use standalone systems or extend the grid line. This article investigates a standalone hybrid renewable system versus extending the grid line to meet a proposed residential load demand of 6000 kWh/day, in a case study located 145 km from the grid. The study identifies the optimum possible grid extension distances, taking into account environmental factors such as carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) penalty and CO 2 emissions during the optimization process. Results indicate that, at the current distance from the grid, grid extension is not an economical solution. Instead, a standalone hybrid renewable energy system (HRES)—comprising photovoltaic (PV), wind turbine (WT), diesel generator (DG), and battery—is the optimal energy supply option, with net present cost (NPC) and cost of energy (COE) values of $4.55 M and $0.136/kWh, respectively. For the system considered, the optimal grid extension distance is 12 km. Load demand, grid extension cost, and distance from the grid are discussed as three main parameters affecting grid extension feasibility. Increasing load demand raises the optimal grid extension distance, while capacity shortage (CS) has a greater influence on this distance. Additionally, when the grid extension cost is held constant, a higher CS reduces the optimal grid extension distance.