Optimal sizing of hybrid energy system for a remote telecom tower: A case study in Nigeria

Hybrid energy systems are becoming attractive for providing electricity in remote areas due to excessive expenditure of grid extension, increase in oil price and advances in renewable energy technology. Optimal sizing of components can reduce the cost of hybrid systems. This article illustrates the size optimization of solar-wind-diesel generator-battery hybrid system designed for a remote location mobile telecom base transceiver station in Nigeria. Different energy combinations have been analyzed using HOMER 2.81 (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables) in order to determine an optimal model. Simulation results show that the hybrid energy systems can minimize the power generation cost significantly and can decrease CO
2
emissions as compared to the traditional diesel generator only.