Techno-economic-environmental assessment of a hybrid renewable polygeneration system for an off-grid rural health clinic

Rural health clinics often face severe challenges in ensuring reliable and sustainable energy supply due to the lack of grid access and limited fuel availability. This study presents the design and performance assessment of a fully self-sufficient hybrid renewable polygeneration system for an off-grid rural health clinic. The proposed configuration integrates building-mounted photovoltaic/thermal collectors, hydrogen energy storage, and a biomass furnace to meet the facility’s electricity, space conditioning, and domestic hot water demands. The system is dynamically simulated in TRNSYS, and a comprehensive techno-economic-environmental analysis is conducted to evaluate its performance. Results show that the system meets the clinic’s annual 37 MWh energy demand with a negligible loss of load probability of 0.37%, maintaining indoor thermal comfort year-round. The total life-cycle cost is approximately $141,670 and the levelized cost of energy equal to $0.3/kWh. Compared to a diesel-based alternative the system achieves a twelvefold reduction in life-cycle carbon emissions. Additionally, it produces 3755 m 3 of oxygen annually via water electrolysis, providing a potentially valuable medical resource for the facility. Overall, the findings demonstrate that a fully renewable, high-reliability energy system can be economically and environmentally viable for off-grid healthcare applications in arid climates, offering a scalable model for broader deployment.