Bridging the educational gap in underserved schools with sustainable energy solution

Education is the most valuable legacy and is essential for the development of any society. To establish effective educational institutions, a steady and reliable source of electricity is required. This study presents the design and simulation of an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system tailored for an underserved secondary school in Akpugo, Enugu State, Nigeria. It starts with a comprehensive overview of the electrical services in the school, as well as a pumping system, which guides the selection of the PV and battery system. The load profile for the secondary school was modeled as a primary load pattern, while a deferrable load pattern was used for the electrical load modeling of the water pumping system. The hybrid optimization of multiple energy renewables (HOMER) software was used to model and simulate the PV and battery system, evaluating both technical and economic dimensions. A sensitivity analysis was conducted to verify the reliability of the technical and economic evaluations. The simulation results clearly demonstrate that the designed off-grid PV system meets the school’s total energy need of 21.53 kWh/day. This was achieved with an optimized configuration comprising a 7.64 kW PV array and a 20-unit 400 Ah battery bank. The system has an energy cost of ₦140.84/kWh and a 100% renewable energy fraction. This sustainable energy solution provides the school with a reliable electricity source, thereby minimizing its reliance on the national grid and mitigating the impact of power outages, and ultimately bridging the educational gap for rural students.