Comparative techno-economic analysis of grid-connected solar PV-battery and PV-fuel cell systems for educational institutions sustainable academic laboratories

Abstract

Due to the declining supply of fossil fuels, redesigning electricity networks to integrate renewable energy is essential. This project focuses on providing reliable power to the electrical and electronics laboratory at Buea University, Cameroon, by evaluating the technical and economic performance of a grid-tied solar PV (Photovoltaic) system with storage. Total net present cost (TNPC) was used for economic analysis, and mathematical modeling was created in order to apply metaheuristic optimization for system sizing. Techno-economic decision criteria were implemented using MATLAB. Three algorithms were used: Teaching–Learning-Based Optimization (TLBO), Water Cycle Algorithm (WCA), and Improved Grey Wolf Optimization (I-GWO). TLBO performed the best out of all mentioned metaheuristic optimization techniques. The grid-tied solar PV-lithium-ion battery obtained the lowest TNPC of around 3.079798 × 105 $. This was determined by comparing the results of the grid-tied solar PV fuel cell (FC) energy storage system to the specified parameters of a LPSP of zero. Furthermore, solar PV-lithium-ion battery system was assessed in on grid mode for cost of energy (COE) in two different circumstances: COE load (only considering connected loads) around 0.32726504 $/kWh and COE total (including connected loads and surplus energy) around 0.12415225 $/kWh.