Distributed renewable energy system for sustainable rural development.

摘要

Water scarcity and energy poverty in rural communities reduce the quality of life particularly in the developing world. This dissertation presents the development of an affordable technology for sustainable rural development. Our approach was to utilize a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) which is comprised of a photovoltaic array, a battery bank, an inverter, a downdraft gasifier, and a modified natural gas engine to meet the entire electricity demand of a rural community. Waste heat from the biomass fueled generator served as thermal energy input to an air-gap membrane distillation (AGMD) unit for producing potable water. Several configurations of the HRES were analyzed using a Hybrid Optimization for Electric Renewables (HOMER) software to ensure a reliable electricity production at an optimal cost. Results of economic analysis of the optimum HRES showed a significant reduction in capital cost compared to a standalone PV system and a levelized cost of electricity that falls below what the community could afford. The outcome of a combined PV/Battery/Biomass/AGMD is a simultaneous production of uninterrupted electricity and pure water, which meets the energy and clean drinking water need of the rural population. Therefore, this system should be adopted for rapid implementation in the rural districts to ascertain its effectiveness in sustainable development of the community.