HOMER Analysis for Integrating Solar Energy in Off-Grid and On-Grid SCO Telecommunication Sites

Abstract

Most developing countries like Pakistan are facing serious problems of load shedding, power failure and no access of electricity in remote areas. Commonly diesel generators (DG) are used to tackle these issues but escalating diesel prices and global warming compel the mobile operators to use alternative ways of energy production. Renewable energy sources (RESs) are very suitable for telecommunication sites and integration with diesel generator make the system more reliable. This study presents the aspects of design and simulation of off-grid and on- grid along with feasibility report for the two systems. HOMER software based approach is used for evaluating performance of hybrid system and their optimized results are also analyzed. Main objective of this research is to compare and highlight non-renewable energy system and renewable energy system for choosing the best solution. It is also aimed to propose systems with reduced Net Present Cost (NPC) throughout the life of project. It is evident from simulation results that the integration of solar energy along with battery bank is cost effective than the existing system. Furthermore, environmental pollution can also be minimized by induction of renewable energy source in the system.