Feasibility and sensitivity analysis of a self-sustainable hybrid system: A case study of a mountainous region in Bangladesh

The hilly territories in Bangladesh lack adequate electricity supplies due to their remote placement, which restrains the prosperity of the locality. This study presents a self-sustainable solution for Bilchari, a mountainous area of Bangladesh that shares the same electricity supply deficiency. The region lacks supplies but boasts a wealth of renewable energy resources, like biomass, wind, hydro, and solar. All of these sources are utilized to develop a hybrid system. The system load assessment is done for the winter and summer seasons according to the site's requirements. The overall simulation is performed using the hybrid optimization of multiple energy resources (HOMER) tool to find an optimum solution. Four competing solutions with different source combinations have been found by the simulation. Another four single-sourced systems are also investigated and compared to determine the superiority of hybrid systems over single-sourced systems. The results of thorough research using various optimization and sensitivity analysis exhibit that the Solar/Biomass/Battery/Wind/Hydrokinetic system is the optimum option for the location. The energy cost per kWh is only $0.128 in this configuration. And net present cost (NPC) is $303306, where operating cost is only 12,413 $/year. Moreover, the proposed system emits much lower CO2 (17.6 kg/year) with negligible other emissions making it eco-friendly. The decent outcomes from breakeven grid distance and payback period analysis make the hybrid more feasible. Therefore, the proposed hybrid system could be a viable solution for the community of the site and places with similar meteorological features worldwide, both economically and ecologically.