Comparative Analysis of PV and Hybrid PV–Wind Supply for a Smart Building with Water-Purification Station in Morocco

Oumaima Ait Omar (), Oumaima Choukai, Wilian Guamán, Hassan El Fadil, Ahmed Ait Errouhi and Kaoutar Ait Chaoui
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Oumaima Ait Omar: Laboratory of Advanced Systems Engineering (ISA), National School of Applied Science, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
Oumaima Choukai: Higher National School of Chemistry-ENSC, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
Wilian Guamán: Facultad de Informática y Electrónica, Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo, Panamericana Sur km 1 1/2, Riobamba EC060155, Ecuador
Hassan El Fadil: Laboratory of Advanced Systems Engineering (ISA), National School of Applied Science, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
Ahmed Ait Errouhi: Laboratory of Advanced Systems Engineering (ISA), National School of Applied Science, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, Morocco
Kaoutar Ait Chaoui: Laboratory of Advanced Systems Engineering (ISA), National School of Applied Science, Ibn Tofail University, Kenitra 14000, Morocco

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-27

Abstract: Water and energy are strongly intertwined, especially in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) whose electrical loads can strain local grids. This work evaluates the technical, economic, and environmental feasibility of powering the WWTP attached to the smart building of Ibn Tofail University (Morocco) with building-integrated photovoltaics (PV) and a complementary wind turbine. Using the HOMER Pro optimizer, two configurations were compared: (i) stand-alone PV and (ii) a hybrid PV/wind system. The hybrid design raises the renewable energy fraction from 8.5% to 17.9%, cutting annual grid purchases by 8% and avoiding 47.9 t CO 2 yr −1 . The levelized cost of electricity decreases from 1.08 to 0.97 MAD kWh −1 (≈0.11 to 0.10 USD kWh −1 ), while the net present cost drops by 6%. Sensitivity analyses confirm robustness under grid electricity tariff and load-growth uncertainties. These results demonstrate that modest wind additions can double the renewable share and improve economics, offering a replicable pathway for WWTPs and smart buildings across the MENA region.

Keywords: smart building; water-purification station; photovoltaic system “PV”; Homer-Pro; self-production; wind system (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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