CJBAS Vol.

(01) - August - Issue 01 (2013) 19-25

Rural Electrification System based on Hybrid Energy System Model Optimization using
HOMER
Nitin Vania and Vikas Kharea,
a

Department of Electrical & Electronics Engineering, VITS, MITM, Indore 452001

Keywords:
Solar/Wind System,
Hybrid energy system,
renewable sources,
HOMER Software

Abstract
Hybrid energy power system is built in many rural areas where the limited nonconventional energy sources are available due to higher transportation cost. Higher
maintenance cost is one of the most reasons for diesel generators are very expensive
for this area. This paper investigates cost and size optimization model for hybrid
(solar, wind and diesel) power system demonstrate with Hybrid Optimization for
Electric Renewable (HOMER) software. We present hybrid power system contain
solar, wind and diesel power generation with battery storage for Jamnya Van village
dist. Barwani in Madhya Pradesh, India. System designed based on site empirical
weather and load data. We optimize a problem to minimize total net present cost,
operating and running cost of the hybrid system.

1. Introduction
Global resources of fossil and nuclear fuel are limited, while requiring search for alternate sources
of energy. Hybrid technology is one of the growing technologies during these days. Hybrid systems
are continuously challenged to provide reliable services to rural and remote areas where there is no
efficient electrical power supply available. Therefore, renewable energy systems are becoming
progressively popular in that area to provide reliable and efficient power to remote areas. [1]
Seasonally variations of wind speed and solar radiation resources are complementally to each other.
Status and future prospective effect of Wind energy in India are presented and discussed [2].
India is a remarkably occupied country in all around the world and hence its energy demand is also
more and increasing with time. In most countries Indian states it is not easy to satisfy power
demand all year extended by hydro sources alone. Hence it is essential to interconnect other
renewable energy sources for dependability and consistence power supply. Renewable energy
sources offer a viable alternative to the condition of power in rural areas [3-7].
In Madhya Pradesh electricity is generated mostly by using hydro electric power station & thermal
power system. The generated electricity is not fulfilling the demand of electricity consumption.
Therefore electricity generation by the help of renewable sources such as the solar & wind power is
the most power full tools for fulfilling the demand of electricity consumption. Village Jamnya

Corresponding author (E-mail: vikaskhare09@yahoo.in).

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Nitin Vani and Vikas Khare CJBAS Vol. (01)-August Issue 01 (2013) 19-25

Van dist. Barwani in Madhya Pradesh found

under the rural area where the population is
about 120 with 22 small houses and electricity
supply is very limited and at maximum period
of time one can encounter the power cutoffs.
The proposed system examined under the
paper overcomes the high power cutoff
problems
by
providing
a
renewal
uninterrupted power supply system for the
daily household purpose with agricultural as
well as basic domestic general purpose.
Hybrid power systems are seen as a way to
provide power to the many remote
communities in the developing world where
the costs for large scale expansion of electrical
grids are prohibitive and the transportation
costs of diesel fuel are also very high.
Continuous consumption of fossil fuels, such
as oil and coal, energy shortage in the
battery,
environmental
pollution
and
ecological deterioration are becoming
severe every day. Utilization of renewable
energy is an effective way to solve the
energy crisis and environmental pollution
problems [8].
The proposed system defined on the basis of
the village contains a minimal population of
all around hundred whose only source of
income is agriculture. This paper focuses on
reliable and efficient hybrid system integration
of PV/WT hybrid system. In the last few years
the world is experiencing higher prices of oil,
which had caused several oil crises since early
1970s. Also, the world is experiencing many
environmental issues related to usage of fossil
fuel. For these reasons, the research and
developments have increased to use renewable
energy for generating power. [8], [9], [10],
[11]. Several literature references have
discussed on sizing and to decide the optimum
combination of a hybrid energy system [7, 13,
14]. A lot of presents a comparison study to
conclude the optimal configuration of power
sources applicable to different regions [4].

HOMER software means Hybrid Optimization

Model for Electric Renewable [15, 16].
2. Proposed system
Size optimization of hybrid system is done by
optimization model for electric renewable
software (HOMER). The proposed system
contains solar power, wind power with diesel
generator with battery storage system for
storage of excess generated electricity.
Converter system connected between AC and
DC link. The wind turbine is the major
supplier of energy to this system and the
variation of wind power with time, together
with the household demand, are the only
outside variables influence the system. The
PV systems with battery banks share some of
the loads. The diesel generators and battery
banks are used as a back-up electricity source
[16, 17]. The HOMER software determines
optimal cost and sensitivity analysis of the
proposed system. Firstly we describe a model
configuration of the hybrid energy system that
consists of Photovoltaic module system, wind
turbine System, Diesel generator system and
the battery storage system as our work space
shown in the Figure 1.

Figure 1. Hybrid Energy System in HOMER

3. System load data

Village Jamnya Van dist. Barwani in Madhya
Pradesh daily average electricity consumption
is 70 kWh/day. Solar radiation, wind speed
and load data obtain from the government
serve in 2011-12 under the guidance of Janpad
Panchayat Niwali Dist. Barwani (M.P.).
Figure 2 shows the typical load profile for the
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Nitin Vani and Vikas Khare CJBAS Vol. (01)-August Issue 01 (2013) 19-25

village site produce by the HOMER software.

Per hours load variation mainly due to the
running of the water pump used in the
agricultural industry.

system is 6.5 kW with is obtained from total

10 strings. Each string contains 2 modules.
The details of STP280 module by Suntech is
as following

Figure 2. Daily Load Profile for the Site Data

Figure 3. Current-Voltage and Power-Voltage
Curve (280-24)

4. Photovoltaic module system

STP280 solar module used in this system
which provide 280 W powers output with 24
V. This is most reliable solar power module
for on and off grid residential and commercial
system. When to modules are connected in
series thus equivalent output voltage is equal
to the sum of the voltage individually i.e. 48 V
bus for this system. Total Capacity of the PV

Excellent performance under weak light

conditions: at an irradiation intensity of 200
W/m2 (AM 1.5, 25OC), 95.5% or higher of the
STC efficiency (1000 W/m2) is achieved. The
initial and replacement cost of the two
modules connected in series are $1600 and
$1540 respectively.

Table1. Shows the temperature characteristics of the cell

Nominal Operating Cell temperature (NOCT)
Temperature Coefficient of Pmax
Temperature Coefficient of Voc
Temperature Coefficient of Isc
Operation and maintenance cost of the
modules connected in proposed system is $10.
The latitude and longitude of the village

45+-2oC
-0.44 % /OC
-0.33%/oC
0.055%/OC

Jamnya Van Site is 22.7195687 and

75.8577258 respectively. The effective time
zone of the India is GMT+ 05.30.

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Nitin Vani and Vikas Khare CJBAS Vol. (01)-August Issue 01 (2013) 19-25

Table 2. show the baseline data used for global horizontal radiation.
Months
Clearness Index
Daily Radiation
(KWh/m2/d)
Jan
0.684
4.810
Feb.
0.697
5.650
March
0.675
6.350
April
0.668
6.990
May
0.656
7.210
June
0.546
6.080
July
0.432
4.770
August
0.393
4.170
September
0.533
5.190
October
0.684
5.790
November
0.675
4.900
December
0.675
4.510
Average
0.598
5.531
Turbine capital and replacement cost are
$22490 and $18000 respectively. Operation
and maintenance cost as $462 per years. The
hub height selected of 30 meters from the
earth surface. The curve between wind speed
and power generated shown in Figure 6.

5. Wind turbine system

BWC Excell-R/48 wind turbines are used for
proposed system having rated capacity of 7.5
kW. BWC Excell-R/48 modern wind turbine
heaving 7 meters (32 ft.) diameter for
reliability, low maintenance and automatic
operation in adverse weather conditions.

Figure 6. Wind Speed-Generated Power Curve

Figure 4. Global horizontal Radiation curve

6. Converter system
Here converter is used which can work both as
an inverter and rectifier depending on the
direction of flow of power. A converter is used
to convert and maintain power flow between
DC and AC link. According to the load profile
used for proposed system 5 kW converter are
used. The operation cost for such type of
converter is $2300 and replacement cost is

Figure 5. Scaled data profile generated

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Nitin Vani and Vikas Khare CJBAS Vol. (01)-August Issue 01 (2013) 19-25

$2300. We assume maintenance free converter

system.

Table 3. shows the wind speed data for the selected site.
Month
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
Annual Average
According to the base line data wind resources
curve shown in the Figure 7.

Wind Speed(m/s)
4.794
5.702
3.338
4.121
4.062
2.664
3.572
3.630
3.594
4.823
6.587
7.195
4.500

8. Diesel generator system

Diesel generator is used for proposed system
has rated capacity of 5kW and rated speed is
1800 rpm. Generator delivers AC. The capital
cost and replacement cost of the generator are
$16308 and $13590 respectively. The
operation and maintenance cost of the
generator is $0.1/hr. Diesel can be transported
between nearest pump to site by road. There
for the transportation cost of the diesel is
approximately $0.5/liter. When hybrid energy
system generate sufficient amount of power
diesel generators work as a backup for the site.

7. Battery storage system

The variation of solar and wind energy
generation do not competition the time sharing
of the demand. Therefore, power generation
systems need of battery storage facility to
smooth the time distribution disparity between
the load and solar/wind energy generation and
to account for maintenance of the systems.
L16P batteries bank are used for the proposed
site. Each battery has a rated capacity of 6V,
360Ah and generated 2.16 kWh power. The
Capital cost and replacement cost are $2500
and $1500 respectively. Five numbers of
batteries can be used for optimal design of the
hybrid system.

9. Otimization result
Software performs various simulations to
determine best optimal set of configuration of
hybrid energy system. Variation is also done
by using sensitivity variable line solar
radiation, wind speed and prices of oil. Total
32 system configuration examines by the
software and provides three best optimal set of
configuration.
Best
optimal
set
of
configuration contains solar power, wind
power and diesel generator with battery

Figure 7. Wind Resources Data

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Nitin Vani and Vikas Khare CJBAS Vol. (01)-August Issue 01 (2013) 19-25

storage system for the proposed site. Total net

present cost of the optimal set is $181,847
which is less than two other best optimal set
results. Operating cost per year is also less as
compared to the other test result. According to
the initial and capital cost best optimal set of
configuration contains solar, diesel with
battery storage system. Electricity production
is done by solar PV array is 31% with wind
electricity generation and diesel electricity
generation are 35% and 34% respectively.

Journal of Renewable and Sustainable

Energy, 1, 2 (2009).
DOI: 10.1063/1.3156003
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(2010).
DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2009.10.005
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energy generation using hybrid energy
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International Journal of Sustainable
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DOI: 10.1080/19397038.2010.484870

Figure 8. Optimization Result

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Figure 9. Monthly Average Electrical
Production

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Design,
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Figure 10. Cash Flow Summary

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