Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study

Bijay Basnet; Jeevan Bhandari; Jahir Ahmad Jibran

doi:doi:10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12

Research Article |

| Peer-Reviewed

Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study

Bijay Basnet, Jeevan Bhandari, Jahir Ahmad Jibran^*

Published in American Journal of Modern Energy (Volume 9, Issue 3)

Received: 19 September 2023 Accepted: 3 November 2023 Published: 11 December 2023

Views: Downloads:

Download PDF

Share This Article

Twitter
Linked In
Facebook

Abstract

This paper presents a thorough study conducted in Gokule village, located in the Kavreplanchowk district of Nepal, to address the prevalent electricity problem in the Socio-economically backward Magar community. The village is still not connected to NEA's Grid, giving the locals inadequate energy access. With an average solar radiation level of 4.51 kWh/m2/day and an appropriate temperature range, the area has much solar energy potential, reflecting a reasonable and ecologically straightforward answer to this electricity problem. The research utilized questionnaires to assess the electricity demand and socioeconomic condition, and a simulation was done in PV Syst software to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of applying a solar mini-grid project in the area. The Metronome database was used for the simulation purpose. Findings exposed a pressing electricity need of 567 kWh/day in the community, which remained unmet. The project cost was $178,933.22, with a levelized electricity (LCOE) cost of $0.012 per kWh. The study also has shown a promising return on investment (ROI) of 119.7% and a payback period of 12.9 years. Based on these findings, a suggested standalone mini-grid system with a capacity of 143 kW was proposed to meet the demand efficiently. The research highlights the technical and economic feasibility of the solar mini-grid project, showcasing its potential to enhance the socioeconomic conditions of the community.

Published in	American Journal of Modern Energy (Volume 9, Issue 3)
DOI	10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12
Page(s)	65-76
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Assessments, Feasibility, Radiation, Mini-Grid, PV Syst

References

[1]	A. O. M. Maka, "Solar energy technology and its roles in sustainable development," no. June, pp. 476–483, 2022.
[2]	P. Poudel, S. Bae, and B. Jang, "Designing Study on Techno-Economic Assessment of Solar Photovoltaic Mini-Grid Project in Nepal," J. Chosun Nat. Sci, vol. 15, no. 2, pp. 89–97, 2022, doi: 10.13160/ricns.2022.15.2.89.
[3]	U. Joshi et al., "Estimation of Solar Insolation and Angstrom-Prescott Coefficients Using Sunshine Hours over Nepal," Adv. Meteorol., vol. 2022, 2022, doi: 10.1155/2022/3593922.
[4]	E. C. Secretariat, "Energy Sector Synopsis Report 2021 / 2022 N EPAL E NERGY S ECTOR S YNOPSIS," no. June, 2022.
[5]	A. Energy and P. Centre, "Guidelines for the feasibility study of solar mini grid projects".
[6]	U. Translation, "Ministry of Population and Environment Renewable Energy Subsidy Policy, 2073 BS," no. May, 2016.
[7]	A. Year, A. Year, I. N. Review-fiscal, I. N. Review-fiscal, and Y. Year, "ELECTRICITY ELECTRICITY AUTHORITY AUTHORITY," 2022.
[8]	R. Poudyal, P. Loskot, and R. Parajuli, "Techno - economic feasibility analysis of a 3 - kW PV system installation in Nepal," Renewables Wind. Water, Sol., 2021, doi: 10.1186/s40807-021-00068-9.
[9]	AEPC, "Progress at a Glance: Year in Review FY 2078/79 (2021/22)," vol. 79, 2022.
[10]	E. Y. Asuamah, S. Gyamfi, and A. Dagoumas, "Potential of meeting electricity needs of off-grid community with mini-grid solar systems," Sci. African, vol. 11, p. e00675, 2021, doi: 10.1016/j.sciaf.2020.e00675.
[11]	K. Ulsrud, T. Winther, D. Palit, H. Rohracher, and J. Sandgren, "The Solar Transitions research on solar mini-grids in India: Learning from local cases of innovative socio-technical systems," Energy Sustain. Dev., vol. 15, no. 3, pp. 293–303, 2011, doi: 10.1016/j.esd.2011.06.004.
[12]	N. Thirumurthy, L. Harrington, D. Martin, L. Thomas, J. Takpa, and R. Gergan, "Opportunities and Challenges for Solar Minigrid Development in Rural India," no. September, 2022, [Online]. Available: http://www.osti.gov/bridge
[13]	K. Malla and A. M. Nakarmi, "Solar Mini-grid for Rural Electrification: A Case of Laprak Village," Proc. IOE Grad. …, pp. 395–402, 2019, [Online]. Available: http://conference.ioe.edu.np/publications/ioegc2019-summer/IOEGC-2019-Summer-052.pdf
[14]	S. C. D. palit Bhattacharyya, Mini-Grids for Rural Electrification of Developing Countries, no. April 2015. 2014. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-04816-1.
[15]	B. P. Koirala and T. K. Limbu, "Interconnected mini-grids for rural energy transition in Nepal Regulatory and Organizational Framework," no. February, 2013, doi: 10.13140/2.1.3813.7924.
[16]	M. S. Morshed, S. M. Ankon, M. T. H. Chowdhury, and M. A. Rahman, "Designing of a 2kW standalone PV system in Bangladesh using PVsyst, Homer and SolarMAT," 2015 Int. Conf. Green Energy Technol. ICGET 2015, no. September, 2015, doi: 10.1109/ICGET.2015.7315090.
[17]	T. Gurupira and A. J. Rix, "PV simulation software comparisons: PVsyst, NREL SAM and PVLib," Saupec 2017, no. February, p. 7, 2017, [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313249367
[18]	S. Sharma, C. P. Kurian, and L. S. Paragond, "Solar PV System Design Using PVsyst: A Case Study of an Academic Institute," pp. 123–128, 2018.
[19]	T. Gurupira, A. J. Rix, T. Gurupira, and A. J. Rix, "PV SIMULATION SOFTWARE COMPARISONS: PVSYST, NREL SAM AND PVLIB Evaluation and optimisation of solar photovoltaic (PV) plant designs View project Machine Learning for solar energy industries View project PV SIMULATION SOFTWARE COMPARISONS: PVSYST, NREL SAM," no. February, 2017, [Online]. Available: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/313249367
[20]	V. B. Omubo-Pepple, C. Israel-Cookey, and G. I. Alaminokuma, "Effects of temperature, solar flux and relative humidity on the efficient conversion of solar energy to electricity," Eur. J. Sci. Res., vol. 35, no. 2, pp. 173–180, 2009.
[21]	D. Y. Goswami, Principles of Solar Engineering, Third Edition. 2015. doi: 10.1201/b18119.
[22]	S. Mini-grids, "E-Handbook (Version 1) Solar Mini-Grids SOLAR MINI-GRIDS E-HANDBOOK (VERSION 1)," no. Version 1.
[23]	A. Alzahrani, M. Rajeh, and S. Banjar, "Design and Simulation of a Standalone PV System for a Mosque in NEOM City," pp. 634–649, 2021.
[24]	S. R. Spea and H. A. Khattab, "Design Sizing and Performance Analysis of Standalone PV System using PVSyst Software for a Location in Egypt," 2019 21st Int. Middle East Power Syst. Conf. MEPCON 2019 - Proc., pp. 927–932, 2019, doi: 10.1109/MEPCON47431.2019.9008058.
[25]	A. Bhatia, "Design and Sizing of Solar Photovoltaic Systems Credit," no. 877, pp. 37–42, 2022.
[26]	A. A. Khamisani, "Design Methodology of Off-Grid PV Solar Powered System (A Case Study of Solar Powered Bus Shelter) Author: Ayaz A. Khamisani Advisors: Dr. Peter Ping Liu, Dr. Jerry Cloward, Dr. Rendong Bai Table of content," 2018.
[27]	B. R. Tiwari, N. Bhattarai, and A. K. Jha, "Performance analysis of a 100 kWp grid connected Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant in Kharipati, Bhaktapur, Nepal," vol. 8914, no. January, pp. 629–636, 2017.
[28]	M. Cyrus and M. Fazel, "Design and Analysis of a Standalone Photovoltaic System for Footbridge Lighting," J. Sol. Energy Res., vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 85–91, 2019, doi: 10.22059/jser.2019.283926.1120.
[29]	A. Alnoosani et al., "Design of 100MW Solar PV on-Grid Connected Power Plant Using (PVsyst) in Umm Al-Qura University Smart Firefighting Device System (LAHEEB) View project Dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSC) and Nano-technologies. View project Design of 100MW Solar PV on-Grid C," Artic. Int. J. Sci. Res., vol. 8, no. 11, pp. 356–363, 2019, [Online]. Available: www.ijsr.net
[30]	Mohammed Sulaiman Al-Soud and Qais Hashim Alsafasfeh, "Financial and Economic Analysis of 75 MW Photovoltaic Project for Jordan," J. Energy Power Eng., vol. 9, no. 3, 2015, doi: 10.17265/1934-8975/2015.03.001.
[31]	S. Dutta, N. Raj, and A. Mishra, "Techno-Economic Analysis of Grid Connected Rooftop Solar PV System at Head Office of Nepal Bank Limited," vol. 8914, pp. 17–24, 2022.
[32]	R. R. Kanna and R. R. Singh, "A feasibility study on Balarbhita for advancing rural electrification with a solar—Micro-hydro hybrid system," Front. Energy Res., vol. 10, no. September, pp. 1–18, 2022, doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2022.960045.

Cite This Article

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Basnet, B., Bhandari, J., Ahmad Jibran, J. (2023). Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study. American Journal of Modern Energy, 9(3), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Basnet, B.; Bhandari, J.; Ahmad Jibran, J. Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study. Am. J. Mod. Energy 2023, 9(3), 65-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Basnet B, Bhandari J, Ahmad Jibran J. Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study. Am J Mod Energy. 2023;9(3):65-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12,
  author = {Bijay Basnet and Jeevan Bhandari and Jahir Ahmad Jibran},
  title = {Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study},
  journal = {American Journal of Modern Energy},
  volume = {9},
  number = {3},
  pages = {65-76},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajme.20230903.12},
  abstract = {This paper presents a thorough study conducted in Gokule village, located in the Kavreplanchowk district of Nepal, to address the prevalent electricity problem in the Socio-economically backward Magar community. The village is still not connected to NEA's Grid, giving the locals inadequate energy access. With an average solar radiation level of 4.51 kWh/m2/day and an appropriate temperature range, the area has much solar energy potential, reflecting a reasonable and ecologically straightforward answer to this electricity problem. The research utilized questionnaires to assess the electricity demand and socioeconomic condition, and a simulation was done in PV Syst software to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of applying a solar mini-grid project in the area. The Metronome database was used for the simulation purpose. Findings exposed a pressing electricity need of 567 kWh/day in the community, which remained unmet. The project cost was $178,933.22, with a levelized electricity (LCOE) cost of $0.012 per kWh. The study also has shown a promising return on investment (ROI) of 119.7% and a payback period of 12.9 years. Based on these findings, a suggested standalone mini-grid system with a capacity of 143 kW was proposed to meet the demand efficiently. The research highlights the technical and economic feasibility of the solar mini-grid project, showcasing its potential to enhance the socioeconomic conditions of the community.
},
 year = {2023}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study
AU  - Bijay Basnet
AU  - Jeevan Bhandari
AU  - Jahir Ahmad Jibran
Y1  - 2023/12/11
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12
T2  - American Journal of Modern Energy
JF  - American Journal of Modern Energy
JO  - American Journal of Modern Energy
SP  - 65
EP  - 76
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-3797
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12
AB  - This paper presents a thorough study conducted in Gokule village, located in the Kavreplanchowk district of Nepal, to address the prevalent electricity problem in the Socio-economically backward Magar community. The village is still not connected to NEA's Grid, giving the locals inadequate energy access. With an average solar radiation level of 4.51 kWh/m2/day and an appropriate temperature range, the area has much solar energy potential, reflecting a reasonable and ecologically straightforward answer to this electricity problem. The research utilized questionnaires to assess the electricity demand and socioeconomic condition, and a simulation was done in PV Syst software to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of applying a solar mini-grid project in the area. The Metronome database was used for the simulation purpose. Findings exposed a pressing electricity need of 567 kWh/day in the community, which remained unmet. The project cost was $178,933.22, with a levelized electricity (LCOE) cost of $0.012 per kWh. The study also has shown a promising return on investment (ROI) of 119.7% and a payback period of 12.9 years. Based on these findings, a suggested standalone mini-grid system with a capacity of 143 kW was proposed to meet the demand efficiently. The research highlights the technical and economic feasibility of the solar mini-grid project, showcasing its potential to enhance the socioeconomic conditions of the community.

VL  - 9
IS  - 3
ER  -

Copy | Download

Author Information

Bijay Basnet

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Bagmati, Nepal

Contact Email
Jeevan Bhandari

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Bagmati, Nepal

Contact Email
Jahir Ahmad Jibran

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kathmandu University, Dhulikhel, Bagmati, Nepal

Contact Email

Download PDF

Sections

Plain Text BibTeX RIS

APA Style

Basnet, B., Bhandari, J., Ahmad Jibran, J. (2023). Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study. American Journal of Modern Energy, 9(3), 65-76. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12

Copy | Download

ACS Style

Basnet, B.; Bhandari, J.; Ahmad Jibran, J. Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study. Am. J. Mod. Energy 2023, 9(3), 65-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12

Copy | Download

AMA Style

Basnet B, Bhandari J, Ahmad Jibran J. Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study. Am J Mod Energy. 2023;9(3):65-76. doi: 10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12

Copy | Download

@article{10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12,
  author = {Bijay Basnet and Jeevan Bhandari and Jahir Ahmad Jibran},
  title = {Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study},
  journal = {American Journal of Modern Energy},
  volume = {9},
  number = {3},
  pages = {65-76},
  doi = {10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ajme.20230903.12},
  abstract = {This paper presents a thorough study conducted in Gokule village, located in the Kavreplanchowk district of Nepal, to address the prevalent electricity problem in the Socio-economically backward Magar community. The village is still not connected to NEA's Grid, giving the locals inadequate energy access. With an average solar radiation level of 4.51 kWh/m2/day and an appropriate temperature range, the area has much solar energy potential, reflecting a reasonable and ecologically straightforward answer to this electricity problem. The research utilized questionnaires to assess the electricity demand and socioeconomic condition, and a simulation was done in PV Syst software to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of applying a solar mini-grid project in the area. The Metronome database was used for the simulation purpose. Findings exposed a pressing electricity need of 567 kWh/day in the community, which remained unmet. The project cost was $178,933.22, with a levelized electricity (LCOE) cost of $0.012 per kWh. The study also has shown a promising return on investment (ROI) of 119.7% and a payback period of 12.9 years. Based on these findings, a suggested standalone mini-grid system with a capacity of 143 kW was proposed to meet the demand efficiently. The research highlights the technical and economic feasibility of the solar mini-grid project, showcasing its potential to enhance the socioeconomic conditions of the community.
},
 year = {2023}
}

Copy | Download

TY  - JOUR
T1  - Techno-Economic Feasibility Analysis of 143kW Solar Mini Grid for Rural Electrification in Gokule Village - A Case Study
AU  - Bijay Basnet
AU  - Jeevan Bhandari
AU  - Jahir Ahmad Jibran
Y1  - 2023/12/11
PY  - 2023
N1  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12
DO  - 10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12
T2  - American Journal of Modern Energy
JF  - American Journal of Modern Energy
JO  - American Journal of Modern Energy
SP  - 65
EP  - 76
PB  - Science Publishing Group
SN  - 2575-3797
UR  - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajme.20230903.12
AB  - This paper presents a thorough study conducted in Gokule village, located in the Kavreplanchowk district of Nepal, to address the prevalent electricity problem in the Socio-economically backward Magar community. The village is still not connected to NEA's Grid, giving the locals inadequate energy access. With an average solar radiation level of 4.51 kWh/m2/day and an appropriate temperature range, the area has much solar energy potential, reflecting a reasonable and ecologically straightforward answer to this electricity problem. The research utilized questionnaires to assess the electricity demand and socioeconomic condition, and a simulation was done in PV Syst software to evaluate the technical and financial feasibility of applying a solar mini-grid project in the area. The Metronome database was used for the simulation purpose. Findings exposed a pressing electricity need of 567 kWh/day in the community, which remained unmet. The project cost was $178,933.22, with a levelized electricity (LCOE) cost of $0.012 per kWh. The study also has shown a promising return on investment (ROI) of 119.7% and a payback period of 12.9 years. Based on these findings, a suggested standalone mini-grid system with a capacity of 143 kW was proposed to meet the demand efficiently. The research highlights the technical and economic feasibility of the solar mini-grid project, showcasing its potential to enhance the socioeconomic conditions of the community.

VL  - 9
IS  - 3
ER  -

Copy | Download