PV Utilization Analysis for a Canadian Small Arctic PV-Diesel Hybrid Microgrid

Canadian remote arctic communities are mostly supplied electricity by diesel generators. The electricity price in these communities is high due mostly to the transportation cost of the diesel fuel to these remote locations. A large portion of the financial budget from the government or local community is allocated to cover the electricity cost. Diesel power plants are also major emitters of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The annual solar photovoltaic (PV) potential in the Canadian arctic region ranges from 850 to 1150 kWh/kWp. Therefore, a significant portion of the community energy requirement can be supplied by PV systems thus reducing diesel fuel consumption and associated GHG emissions. This paper presents the impact of PV integration on the system annual energy performance at various levels of PV penetration. The modelling of a typical small arctic PV-Diesel hybrid microgrid is addressed with the specifications of a small representative community. The PV utilization analysis establishes the low PV penetration regime up to 40% of peak load. Then two technical alternatives are presented that allow medium PV penetration up to 70% of peak load with associated PV energy contribution up to 23% of the community energy requirement.