100% Renewable Energy Grid for Rural Electrification of Remote Areas: A Case Study in Jordan

Loiy Al-Ghussain, Mohammad Abujubbeh, Adnan Darwish Ahmad, Ahmad M. Abubaker, Onur Taylan, Murat Fahrioglu and Nelson K. Akafuah
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Loiy Al-Ghussain: Mechanical Engineering Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
Mohammad Abujubbeh: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA
Adnan Darwish Ahmad: Institute of Research for Technology Development (IR4TD), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
Ahmad M. Abubaker: Institute of Research for Technology Development (IR4TD), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
Onur Taylan: Mechanical Engineering Program, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Kalkanli, Guzelyurt via Mersin NCC 99738, Turkey
Murat Fahrioglu: Electrical and Electronics Engineering Program, Middle East Technical University Northern Cyprus Campus, Kalkanli, Guzelyurt via Mersin NCC 99738, Turkey
Nelson K. Akafuah: Institute of Research for Technology Development (IR4TD), University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA

Energies, 2020, vol. 13, issue 18, 1-18

Abstract: Many developing countries suffer from high energy-import dependency and inadequate electrification of rural areas, which aggravates the poverty problem. In this work, Al-Tafilah in Jordan was considered as a case study, where the technical, economic, and environmental benefits of a decentralized hybrid renewable energy system that can match 100% of the city demand were investigated. A tri-hybrid system of wind, solar, and hydropower was integrated with an energy storage system and optimized to maximize the match between the energy demand and production profiles. The optimization aimed at maximizing the renewable energy system (RES) fraction while keeping the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) equal to the electricity purchase tariff. The techno-economic analysis showed that the optimal system in Al-Tafilah comprises a 28 MW wind system, 75.4 MW PV, and 1 MW hydropower, with a 259 MWh energy storage system, for which a RES fraction of 99% can be achieved, and 47,160 MtCO 2 are avoided yearly. This study can be easily extended to other rural cities in Jordan, as they have higher renewable energy system (RES) potential. The presented findings are essential not only for Jordan’s planning and economy-boosting but also for contributing to the ongoing force against climate change.

Keywords: Energy hybridization; hydropower; wind energy; solar energy; rural areas; 100% Renewable grid (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (8)

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