Techno-Economic analysis of A Stand-Alone hybrid renewable energy system (Solar/Fuel Cell/Battery) and grid extension for two residential Districts

• Stand-alone systems are sized to supply uninterrupted power for two locations. • Cost of energy is found 95,28 $/MWh for Loughborough-England and 61,39 $/MWh for Afyonkarahisar-Türkiye. • The system is not cost-effective without hydrogen generation, storage, and consumption. • Cost of energy increases as the latitude of the settlement moves northwards. • A Stand-alone hybrid renewable energy system is not economical if the location at Loughborough-England needs a grid extension shorter than 3.59 km. • Grid extension is not economical for the location of Afyonkarahisar-Türkiye. This study investigates the technical and economic aspects of grid extension and stand-alone hybrid renewable energy systems (HRES) for Loughborough-England and Afyonkarahisar-Türkiye. For the HRES, the primary energy source is solar panels. Fuel cells and batteries are available as auxiliary sources. In addition, electrolysers and batteries are considered to store excess energy for a sustainable system. All calculations of the HRES are performed by HOMER Pro® software. The results are compared considering the cost of energy and net present cost. The cost of energy is 95.30 and 61.39 $/MWh, respectively. The net present cost of HRES is $298,644 and $1,478,892, respectively. The grid extension is also evaluated for both locations. The minimum cost of energy is calculated at 94.31 and 90.65 $/MWh, respectively. The minimum net present cost of the grid extension is $275,750 and $1,943,175, respectively. The break-even distance is 3.59 km for Loughborough-England. However, it is not available for Afyonkarahisar-Türkiye.