Efficiency and Economic Analysis of a Hybrid Power Supply System for Mission Critical Applications

Hybrid power supplies that utilize renewable energy sources have emerged as pivotal solutions to ensure uninterrupted power for critical applications such as telecom towers in remote regions. This paper evaluates the feasibility and efficacy of a hybrid power supply integrating a liquid propane (LP) generator, Battery Energy Storage (BES), and Photovoltaic Panel (PV). The study investigates the fuel efficiency of the LP generator with a hybrid system incorporating BES and BES combined with PV across diverse loading conditions and temperatures. Furthermore, it conducts a comparative analysis of the total cost of ownership between a direct LP system and hybrid systems equipped with BES and PV panels. Simulation results conducted via an Excel spreadsheet underscore that the hybrid PV system achieves superior fuel efficiency and monthly fuel savings when the LP generator operates at 80% rated capacity compared to 60% rated capacity. During a 20-year span, the hybrid PV system with the LP operating at 80% rated capacity produces significant savings of $335,912.48 compared to the direct configuration of the LP generator.