Effect of Temperature Coefficient Evaluation on Optimal Analysis of Hybrid Energy Systems for a Mall in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Suitable technical sizing of a standalone off-grid power system impacts its economic and technical analysis. This research examines the effect of the temperature coefficient to determine the optimal analysis of a standalone off-grid power system considering the case of a standard mall in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, during the crucial 2021 wave of load shedding. Scenarios without temperature coefficients and vice versa were also analyzed for comparison purposes. The system was modeled in a MATLAB environment for optimum component configuration. The analyses showed that the presence of a temperature coefficient results in higher operating costs for the fossil fuel generator because of its increased operation hours, thereby consuming more fossil fuel. It was also discovered that although the capital investment of the hybrid energy system (HES) is higher than that of the fossil-fuel generator alone, its greenhouse gas emission is far lower, producing clean, safe, and sustainable energy.