Techno-Economic Analysis of Combined Biogas and Solar Photovoltaic Renewable Energy Options for On-And Off-Grid Systems in Abuja-Nigeria

This research investigates the techno-economic feasibility of biomass-based hybrid renewable energy systems for on- and off-grid connection in Abuja, Nigeria. The work aims to explore the use of renewable energy technologies to reduce the city’s increasing municipal waste volume, while also generating sustainable and affordable energy for a cleaner environment. The work involves pre-evaluation of potential renewable energy resources for biogas and solar radiation in Abuja. Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER) software was employed to provide a techno-economic analysis. The optimum grid-connected option used a 500 kW biogas power generator combined with a 291 kW photovoltaic array with a 0.063 $ kWh-1 cost of energy. The optimum off-grid option used a 500 kW biogas power generator, 432 kW photovoltaic array, 144 batteries strings with a 0.143 $ kWh-1 cost of energy. The grid-connected option showed a 56% decrease in the cost of energy over the off-grid option and was 52% cheaper than the current conventional generated power tariff in Abuja of 0.130 $ kWh-1. This suggests that renewable energy could provide increased affordability for energy for the citizens of Abuja. The analysis also indicated that the grid-connected option had a net present cost of $2,682,808 compared to the off-grid option which had a 68% higher net present cost of $4,507,376. The grid-connected option generated 4% of annual power demands of Abuja with 83% renewable energy penetration while the off-grid option generated 5% of the annual load, thereby supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 7 of affordable, reliable and modern energy access. It is concluded that integration of biomass-based energy technologies into a grid-connected hybrid renewable energy system not only reduces the volume of municipal solid waste but is also capable of contributing to the sustainability of energy provision in low-income countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.