Techno-economic feasibility of photovoltaic, BESS, diesel and hybrid electrification for off-grid rural systems in Algeria

The paper presents three case studies located in the Algerian localities of Afra, Tinelkoune and M'Guiden. Currently, the energy demands of the users and the ancillary services of microgrids are met by internal combustion engines powered by diesel. The authors propose an hybridization of the current energy system with photovoltaic panels and an electric battery for energy storage system. For the optimal choice of the size of the photovoltaic and the storage system, the capabilities of the technologies which would allow the lowest consumption of fossil fuels and the lowest cost for the entire energy system were considered. The results show the hourly behavior of the system throughout the year (two exemplary weeks of the winter and summer regime are shown for each of the three case studies). Furthermore, an economic analysis is conducted in order to identify the payback time of the investment to be made. Finally, a sensitivity analysis on diesel prices is conducted in order to show the variation of the economic assessments made.