Feasibility and optimal sizing analysis of stand-alone hybrid energy systems coupled with various battery technologies: A case study of Pelee Island

Selection of the best component arrangement and sizing measurement for hybrid energy systems (HES) is vital to provide a reliable, consistent, and cost-effective energy supply. This study investigates a techno-economic feasibility analysis of stand-alone HES on Western side of Pelee Island, Canada, whose load is 2426 kWh/day. Several hybridization cases, including diesel (DG), wind (WT), and solar (PV) energy generation, coupled with converters (CNV) and four different battery-electric storage technologies, are explored for technical and economic suitability. The battery architectures involve Scenario I: 1 kWh Lead Acid (LA), Scenario II: 1 kWh Li-Ion, Scenario III: 100 kWh Li-Ion, and Scenario IV: 2.5 kWh PowerSafe (SBS). The results favored the Scenario II solution: 152 kW PV module, 200 kW DG, 190 kW CNV when integrated with 853 kWh Li-Ion battery which has the lowest NPC and LCOE by $3.67M and 0.321$/kWh, respectively. Fuel price and solar irradiance of LA-based systems are more sensitive to renewable fraction and less sensitive to LCOE.1 kWh Li-Ion battery-based hybrid options maintain their lowest LCOE and NPC over variation of fuel price, irradiance, and required load. Unmet load comparison reveals that PV/WT/DG/100 kWh Li-Ion and PV/WT/2.5 kWh SBS, respectively, are the most and least reliable hybrid cases. When comparing storage throughput, it is expected that 100 kWh Li-Ion batteries would be more efficient and have a longer service life than 2.5 kWh SBS batteries. •An autonomous Li-Ion-based system is superior to Lead–acid and SBS battery designs in minimizing NPC.•PV/WT/DG/100 kWh Li-Ion and PV/WT/1 kWh Li-Ion have the highest and lowest reliability, respectively.•Irradiance and fuel price volatility of LA-based systems is influential in changing renewable fractions.•100 kWh Li-Ion is predicted to operate at a higher service lifetime than 2.5 kWh SBS batteries.