Technical and Economic Comparison of Optimizing Hybrid Systems in Rural Areas of Iran, Honduras, and Zambia Under Various Environmental and Economic Conditions

This study compares the technical, economic and environmental performance of hybrid renewable energy systems in Iran, Honduras, and Zambia. The system integrates biomass, PV, converters, and battery storage. Homer-Pro is used to simulate the system and investigate sensitivity factors such as discount rate, inflation rate, fuel availability, pricing, carbon emissions, and capacity shortages. The results show that increased biomass costs, fuel supply constraints, and CO2 penalties encourage the use of solar energy and battery storage, increasing overall project costs. Zarinkola experiences the largest cost increase due to higher biomass consumption and peak load. Capacity Shortage generally reduces costs, but higher rates are needed for Zarinkola and Honduras. Avoiding GHG penalties is crucial for justifying renewable energy projects in Iran's unstable economy. Increased fuel prices significantly impact NPC and COE. Results reveal that higher inflation and discount rates lead to a 1.28% and 4.29% increase in Net Present Cost.