Abstract:
The standalone microgrids can be used as a suitable alternative to the energy that is generating from
conventional energy resources. Standalone microgrids contain fewer losses and much more efficient
as compared to conventional energy resources. The whole world is moving towards renewable energy
resources. The Renewable Energy Resource (RERs) generators create hindrances because of their
gradual change in nature. Energy generation from renewable energy resources can be stored and it
plays a very important role in balancing power demand. The energy that is stored in batteries is one of
the most important parts for retaining a reliable energy supply. The case study in this thesis describes
the techno-economic assessment which contains five cities of Pakistan and the optimal planning is
carried out for the next 20 years. The focus of this research is on the unit selection (type), sizing
(capacity) of the system, and Battery Depth of Discharge (DOD) of Distributed Energy Resources
(DERs) in a microgrid which comprises of Solar Power Generation System (PVs), Wind Turbine
Generators (WTGs), Biodiesel Generators (BDGs), Converter and Battery Energy Storage System
(BESS) that are associated with residential loads. The multiple objectives of this research are to
minimize the Total Net Present Cost (TNPC), Cost of Energy (COE), Biodiesel fuel cost, pollutant
emissions, and optimized value of Battery Depth of Discharge (DOD). TNPC and COE are mainly
dependent on battery size and performance, whereas it can be defined as the total number of performing
charging/discharging cycles of the battery that depend on how deep the battery is being discharged at
each time interval. Ten different DOD values are used in the investigation to ensure the minimization
of TNPC, COE, fuel cost, and pollution emission. The simulations for the optimal system have been
carried out in HOMER beta software. The optimized values for TNPC, COE, Biodiesel fuel cost, and
pollution emission among five cities of Pakistan have been analyzed in this thesis. The results that we
have obtained in these calculations show that all objectives are sensitive to DOD values. A case study
in this thesis describing the techno-assessment solutions elaborates that Karachi has the lowest overall
cost of the battery among the five cities of Pakistan i.e., Karachi, Lahore, Multan, Peshawar, and
Islamabad. After simulations, the results obtained for Karachi show that the optimized DOD value
achieved for a hybrid system is 70% to 95% with COE = 0.197$/kWh, TNPC =$318,194, BDGs fuel
cost =$1997 and ��2 emission =776kg/yr.
