ANALYSIS AND OPTIMIZATION OF HYBRID SOLAR PHOTOVOLTAIC AND SMALL HYDRO TO THE INTEGRATION OF GRID SYSTEM. A CASE STUDY OF BEDELLE BEER FACTORY.

As global electricity demand increases, ensuring a reliable and sustainable power supply for critical infrastructure like factories, hospitals, and hotels is vital. Traditional reliance on centralized power grids can be vulnerable to disruptions, highlighting the need for alternative energy solutions. Hybrid renewable energy systems, combining multiple energy sources, offer a promising approach to enhance energy security and efficiency. This research analysis and optimization of a hybrid solar PV-hydroelectric grid-connected system for the Bedele Beer Factory in Ethiopia. The study area boasts abundant solar radiation and a nearby dabana river suitable for hydropower generation. The daily average load of the system is 588.47kw; the peak load of the system is 964.47kw, the installed capacity of the system 1087kw for safety margin and future extension. The present allowed power from Ethiopia electricity to bedele beer factory is 1075kw. HOMER software was employed to design, optimize, and simulate a system that incorporates A 70 kW solar PV array, 1017 kW hydroelectric power plant and a grid connection for backup and to export excess energy. Annual energy production 7725978kwh, annual energy consumption 6456044kwh, annual energy sold to grid 1311394kwh, annual energy purchased from the grid 30834kwh and renewable fraction 99.5%. The net present cost is $3854991, the levelized cost of electricity is $0.02790/kWh, annual operating costs is $19995.10 and annual generated revenue by selling excess energy to the grid is $29617.8. The simulation results demonstrate the system's effectiveness in meeting the factory's load requirements and the proposed hybrid solar PV-hydroelectric grid-connected system offers a technically feasible, economically viable, and environmentally sustainable alternative for powering the Bedele Beer Factory, enhancing energy security of the system