Integrating Solar Photovoltaic Power Source and Biogas Energy-Based System for Increasing Access to Electricity in Rural Areas of Tanzania

Abstract

Renewable energy is the best option for the challenge of dwindling natural resources and energy scarcity. The utilization of solar photovoltaic (PV) systems is the best option for eliminating the energy deficit in Tanzania due to the available great potential of solar energy. Animal manure is a significant source of waste in rural locations which can be transformed into biogas fuel by an anaerobic process. Livestock and agriculture greatly support economically the majority of the sub-Saharan African (SSA) region’s rural population including Tanzania, and excreta from cattle are beneficial for biogas fuel production. Unfortunately, the high potential of animal waste for generating electricity is underutilized. Integrating solar energy sources and biogas fuel derived from animal manure is useful for mitigating energy shortage, power instability, and environmental issues. Off-grid solar PV biogas-based hybrid microgrid systems for rural electrification applications in the Tanzanian environment are limited, and also, most of the studies are extensively carried out using soft computing tools especially hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources (HOMER) software with limited applications of artificial intelligence (AI) optimization techniques. This paper presents technoeconomic viability analysis for a hybrid renewable energy supply system (HRESS) for the Simboya village in Mbeya region, Tanzania. Off-grid HRESS is designed and optimized to meet the load of the chosen location executed using HOMER software and the grey wolf optimization (GWO) method. The microgrid is anticipated to supply daily maximum demand of 63.41 kW. The residential load profile equals 30 kW representing 50% of the daily demand. Optimization results by the HOMER platform indicate that the system has a total net present cost (NPC) and levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of $106,383.50 and $0.1109/kWh, respectively. Furthermore, this paper presents the optimization and sensitivity analysis results acquired by the GWO method under varied values of Loss of Electrical Power Probability (LEPP). Total NPC and LCOE based on LEPP values of 0, 0.04, and 0.06 are $85,106.8, $79,545.99, and $71,747.36 and $0.0887/kWh, $0.0316/kWh, and $0.0102/kWh, respectively. HRESS is economically and environmentally beneficial for supplying electricity to the selected area and worldwide in similar situations.