Optimization of Hybrid Renewable Energy in Sarawak Remote Rural Area Using HOMER Software

In past few years, there has been a huge concern about decentralized electricity supply in Sarawak, Malaysia. Renewable energy resources can be seen as an alternative energy to capture the remote rural electrification’s problems. Installing and operating a renewable energy generation is not difficult but it requires cautious step as to make sure maximum use of energy can improve the electrification. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to critically analyze five types of optimized hybrid renewable energy systems in term of financial and power production using HOMER software. This paper approaches four renewable energy resources, namely solar, hydro, wind and biomass in three remote rural areas located in Limbang, Kapit and Sri Aman regions. Different combination of solar PV system, micro-hydro generator, wind turbine and biomass generator together with battery storage and converter were studied. The optimization between these different sizes of system was built based on energy demand satisfaction, system cost and carbon gas emission. Comparison between operational of behaviors hybrid renewable energy systems with stand-alone diesel generator only were also carried out to elucidate the effects on investment cost and environment. The results revealed that hybrid hydro with battery system is seen to be the cheapest system and has the best technical performance in all locations. Solar PV and biomass generator system were combined with hydro generator as a backup power. It is also found that hybrid renewable energy is more cost-effective and reduce of carbon emission compared to standalone diesel generator. Keywords — HOMER, hybrid renewable energy resources, remote rural area, net present cost, initial cost, operating cost