A hybrid renewable energy system for a longhouse

Abstract

Renewable energy resources have already become an important alternative electric power generation technologies, due to the negative impacts of global warming on the environment, brought about by the use of fossil-fuelled generation. To combat such impacts, a hybrid energy system which consists of more than one source of renewable energy would be a good alternative to replace conventional electricity generation for Malaysia’s rural areas. A longhouse, or ‘Rumah Panjang’ in the local language, is a timber house raised three to five feet off the ground on stilts. Between 20 – 40 families of the ‘Rungus’, an ethnic group in the Borneo, residing primarily in northern Sabah, in the area around Kudat, dwell these longhouses. Due to the limitation of electricity access in that area, a hybrid system that consists of solar and wind energies as well as energy storage is proposed as a standalone renewable energy system for electricity supply. In this paper, three load profiles, representing various weather conditions; including hot, rainy and normal weather days are developed to represent the annual load curve. Meteorological data of solar irradiation and wind speed are collected at the Kudat area. Modelling of the hybrid system is then carried out based on selecting the most suitable system components, such as PV arrays, wind turbines, batteries and the inverter that satisfy both the technical and financial feasibility criteria. The model is then simulated using HOMER software to calculate the net present cost and the levelized cost of energy (LCOE). Results of the hybrid system simulation are compared with a diesel power generation, representing conventional energy supply, as the existing energy source. The comparison highlights the economic viability of the proposed hybrid system as a sustainable energy alternative to supply electricity to the longhouse.