Feasibility Study of Hybrid SPV-Diesel Generator System for Rural Electrification in India

In developing countries like India, there are many remote and rural places where electric supply from grid is not available and sometimes for some remote places it is economically not feasible at all. Hybrid system which is based on solar photovoltaic and diesel generator is considered as one of the best alternatives to electrify rural and isolated areas far from grid i.e. off grid region. In this paper an economic feasibility study and a complete design of hybrid system consisting of solar photovoltaic (SPV) panels with battery and diesel generator as a backup power source supplying to a small village Bhuriwala in Saharanpur District of Uttar Pradesh in India is presented. This work focuses on the development of optimal hybrid generation system while the result obtained using HOMER software are presented for validation of proposed concepts to cater all essential electricity needs in rural India incorporating renewable fraction, emissions of CO2 from diesel generator, net present cost and cost of energy.