Performance Evaluation of a Hybrid Microgrid System for Sustainable Electricity

Developing a hybrid microgrid system will support efforts at providing sustainable electricity to rural communities without access to electricity from the national electricity grid in Nigeria. This study considered the design and analysis of a hybrid microgrid system for Okorogba community in Nembe, a coastal settlement in suburbia of Bayelsa State, Niger Delta region of Nigeria, without access to electricity from the national grid. The hybrid design combined a 68-kW capacity solar photovoltaic (PV) and 44-kW wind turbine systems. First, a load survey was carried out for the community to establish the total daily energy demand of the community. Electrical performance analysis and economic analysis of the hybrid system were done using HOMER Pro software. The magnitude of the output power from the hybrid system was significant and cost-effective in meeting the electricity demand of the remote community. Thus, the hybrid system is anticipated to provide clean and sustainable energy access for the community.