1. Introduction: Nowadays, the mankind is living an energy crisis.

The most optimist forecasts reveal the fact that the main classic energy resources (oil and natural gas) will be exhausted until 2050. Also, the combustion causes the greenhouse effect which will determine an apocalyptical scenario in the next (80-100) years. In this scenario, the only solution is finding and using new energy resources, inexhaustible and clean, which will substitute in the next 50 years the current resources based on fossil fuels. The growing share of renewable energy production is predictable but depends both on reducing the production costs and on finding new electrical energy storage solutions. This will ensure the injection into the power system of large quantities of renewable energy. Even more, the legislation regarding environment protection imposes the usage of this kind of energy. In March 2007, a European agreement was signed, which impose the reduction of CO2emission with 20% until 2020 and 50% until 2050, but also using the bio-fuels with a share of 10%. 2. Renewable energy used for residential consumers Wind energy is used by the wind turbines, which nowadays have rated powers up to 3 MW. The investments in this area are growing day by day, wind energy being used by consumers in rural and extra-urban areas with important wind potential. 3. Description of HOMER software an optimal analysis tool Homer (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewals) was developed by NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Colorado USA), as a work platform for optimal selection of independent, interconnected or distributed power sources for consumers, connected or not connected to the public grid. The processed information by HOMER refers to: power sources: photovoltaic panels, wind turbines, small hydropower plants, diesel generators, biomass, biogas, fuel cells, public grid; energy storage: hydrogen, batteries; consumers: daily and annual load curves, water Pumping, heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

Using HOMER involves the following steps: - In the initial phase, all the technical possible combinations for supplying the consumers using the specified power sources are determined. Next, the energy balance for 8760 h/year and all the possible alternatives to provide the energy are determined; - In the second phase, for every alternative a full economical estimation (considering all the expensed regarding the initial investments, maintenance, repairing, modernization, interests and benefits) is computed. - The third phase optimizes economically the proposed solutions and presents them in ascending order of costs per life cycle; - In the fourth phase, sensitivity indexes of the results considering the variations of the input data are computed. Finally, from the presented results, the user can decide which the best solution to supply the consumers is. 4. Case study using HOMER For the case study, a medium size extra-urban residential area in Coimbatore, Peelamedu (11.0183 N, 76.9725 Coimbatore) is considered. Each house accommodates 3-4 persons and has an installed electrical power of 5 kW. For all the considered area, the primary load is scaled to an annual average of 1250kWh/d and a peak of 150kW and the deferrable load scaled to an annual average of 2.83kWh/d and a peak of 100kW.
Load AC primary load Deferrable load Electrolyzer load Total Consumption(kWh/yr) 450,080 1,035 159,604 610,719 Fraction 74% 0% 26% 100%

Fig 1.Load details for a day

Fig 2.Seasonal profile of the primary load.

Fig 3.Monthly profile of deferrable load.

5. Resources. The HOMER software can generate the clearness index from the solar radiation data according to the latitude of the place has been chosen. If the solar radiation data is not available, clearness index can also be used to generate the solar radiation data. Therefore, either the clearness index or the solar radiation data can be used to represent the solar resource input, as long as the data of latitude is available to the HOMER software.
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Daily solar radiation (kWh/m2/day) 5.459 6.375 6.746 6.502 5.720 4.673 4.503 4.592 5.123 4.809 4.811 5.054 Wind speed (m/s) at 10m 3.650 3.190 3.290 3.230 3.810 5.520 5.530 5.020 3.090 3.000 3.210 4.060

Fig: solar resource of peelamedu.

Fig: wind resource of peelamedu. 6. System Components. 1.Photovoltaic Array 2.Wind turbines 3.Fuel Cell In order to optimize the PV array ,PV of sizes 250kW,500kW and 750kW are considered To optimize the wind requirements, NEPC wind turbines (6 numbers)are included in the power system Fuel cells with 50 kg capacity are considered to meet the requirements. The fuel input to the system is liquid hydrogen Batteries with string numbers 10,15,20,25 and each string having 19 batteries are connected to supply the bus requirement of 228v Converters with capacity 150 kW are used for dc/ac conversions The electrolyzer unit of sizes 100 and 150kW are included to store the fuel and supply when needed A hydrogen tank with 50 kg capacity is used for the supply needs

4.Battery

5.Converter 6.Electrolyser 7.Hydrogen Tank

The above number of units and the system components are connected and simulated to obtain the best cost analysis and power analysis.

NEPC: Since in India NEPC is one of the commonly used windmill generator we had simulated and modeled our power system using NEPC. To add the windmill to the HOMER library we had referred the power curve of NEPC 250kW wind generator.

Fig: Power curve of NEPC at 10m. The lifetime of the same windmill is about 25 years and it includes a capital cost of 20830$.From the power curve initially we had included 4 quantity of NEPC. But when the HOMER simulated the system it suggested including more number of Windmills. By this way we had arrived with different architecture each having different configurations. PHOTOVOLTAIC ARRAY We all know that a country like India is having enough solar radiation throughout the year. So we had considered Photovoltaic array of different power capacities. But the cost of these PV array is very high .It poses constrain for us to have only limited number of PVs. If we look at any system from the simulation results the cost of PV is 50% of the initial cost if the system includes PV array. The Lifetime of PVs is also 25 years. The De-rating Factor, Slope, Azimuthal angle differs from place to place and it is given as per the latitude and longitude.

Fig: Cost flow graph for a system with PV. FUEL CELL: Being a Hybrid Power System using only renewable resources instead of using fossil fuel generators we had considered Fuel Cells. The source or the fuel for these Fuel Cells is from Hydrogen Tank which stores the required Hydrogen (fuel). This Hydrogen is generated from the electrolyzer. So we had to go in for connecting Electrolyzer also as a part of system component.

CONVERTERS AND BATERRIES: As in the system we considered DC components which serve the AC load converters must also be considered. The value of the required converter and batteries varies as per the total amount of AC/DC power generated. But those values can be easily found as every time HOMER simulates it suggests the value of the each components that makes the system feasible. ANALYSIS OF RESULTS: Three power systems configurations using different energy storage technologies, namely PV/Wind/Battery system, PV/Fuel cell/Battery system. PV/Wind/Fuel cell/Battery system All the above systems are simulated in HOMER environment for optimal sizing which minimizes the system cost. The simulation results provide comparison among these configurations. Simulation studies are classified as: Case A (PV/Wind/Battery system), Case B (PV/Wind/Fuel cell/Battery system), Case C (PV/Wind/Fuel cell/Battery system). Case A (PV/Wind/Battery system) System Architecture: PV Array Wind turbine Battery Inverter Rectifier 500 kW 6 NEPC 380 Vision 6FM200D 150 kW 150 kW

Electrical: Component Production(kWh/yr) Fraction PV array Wind turbines Total Cost summary Total net present cost Levelized cost of energy Operating cost 845,992 1,178,469 2,024,461 42% 58% 100%

$ 2,344,849 $ 0.405/kWh $ 70,003/yr

Case B (PV/Fuel cell/Battery system)

System architecture:
PV Array Fuel Cell Battery Inverter Rectifier Electrolyzer Hydrogen Tank Dispatch strategy 750 kW 50 kW 475 Vision 6FM200D 150 kW 150 kW 150 kW 50 kg Cycle Charging

Component Production(kWh/yr) Fraction PV array Fuel Cell Total 1,268,987 130,583 1,399,570 91% 9% 100%

Cost:
Total net present cost Levelized cost of energy Operating cost $ 3,421,929 $ 0.593/kWh $ 80,138/yr

Case C (PV/Wind/Fuel cell/Battery system).

System architecture
PV Array Wind turbine Fuel Cell Battery Inverter Rectifier Electrolyzer Hydrogen Tank Dispatch strategy 250 kW 6 NEPC 50 kW 285 Vision 6FM200D 150 kW 150 kW 100 kW 50 kg Cycle Charging

Cost summary: The operating cost here is the minimum of all the three configurations. So HOMER shows this system architecture as the optimal system out of all possible combinations. Total net present cost Levelized cost of energy Operating cost $ 1,969,859 $ 0.342/kWh $ 50,251/yr

ELECTRICAL: The total amount of load needed is shared by three sources and also compared to the previous technologies 70% of load is met by Windmills and thus reducing the initial capital cost actually incurred.
Component PV array Wind turbines Fuel Cell Total Production(kWh/yr) 422,996 1,178,469 81,156 1,682,621 Fraction 25% 70% 5% 100%

Component Wise Analysis of the Optimal System: PV:

Quantity Rated capacity Mean output Mean output Capacity factor Total production

Value 250 48.3 1,159 19.3 422,996 kW kW

Units

kWh/d % kWh/yr

Quantity Minimum output Maximum output PV penetration Hours of operation Levelized cost

Value 0.00 295 92.7 4,413 0.105 kW kW %

Units

hr/yr $/kWh

AC Wind Turbine: NEPC

Variable Total rated capacity Mean output Capacity factor Total production Value Units 1,500 kW 135 kW 8.97 % 1,178,469 kWh/yr

Variable Minimum output Maximum output Wind penetration Hours of operation Levelized cost

Value 0.00 1,449 258 4,530 0.00881

Units kW kW % hr/yr $/kWh

Fuel Cell
Quantity Hours of operation Number of starts Operational life Capacity factor Fixed generation cost Marginal generation cost Value Units 2,148 hr/yr 699 starts/yr 18.6 Yr 18.5 % 8.75 $/hr 0.00 $/kWh/yr

Quantity Electrical production Mean electrical output Min. electrical output Max. electrical output

Value

Units 81,156 kWh/yr 37.8 kW

0.00000000000000100 kW 50.0 kW

Quantity Hydrogen consumption Specific fuel consumption Fuel energy input Mean electrical efficiency

Value

Units

4,869 kg/yr 0.060 kg/kWh 162,313 kWh/yr 50.0 %

Battery
Quantity String size Strings in parallel Batteries Bus voltage (V) Value 19 15 285 228

Quantity Nominal capacity Usable nominal capacity Autonomy Lifetime throughput Battery wear cost Average energy cost

Value

Units

684 kWh 410 kWh 7.86 Hr 261,345 kWh 0.610 $/kWh 0.000 $/kWh

Quantity Energy in

Value

Units

52,103 kWh/yr

Energy out Storage depletion Losses Annual throughput Expected life

41,689 kWh/yr 7.88 kWh/yr 10,406 kWh/yr 46,610 kWh/yr 5.61 Yr

Converter
Quantity Capacity Mean output Minimum output Maximum output Capacity factor Inverter 150 24 0 150 15.9 Rectifier Units 150 kW 10 kW 0 kW 150 kW 7.0 %

Quantity Hours of operation Energy in

Inverter 4,788 232,823

Rectifier

Units

1,957 hrs/yr 108,129 kWh/yr

Energy out Losses

209,541 23,282

91,910 kWh/yr 16,219 kWh/yr

HydrogenTank
Variable Hydrogen production Hydrogen consumption Hydrogen tank autonomy Value Units

4,909 kg/yr 4,869 kg/yr 31.9 Hours

Emissions
Pollutant Carbon dioxide Carbon monoxide Unburned hydocarbons Particulate matter Sulfur dioxide Nitrogen oxides Emissions (kg/yr) -49.7 31.7 3.51 2.39 0 282

Sensitivity Analysis A challenge that often confronts the system designer is uncertainty in key variables. Sensitivity analysis can help the designer to understand the effects of uncertainty and make good design decisions despite the uncertainty. A sensitivity analysis can be performed by entering multiple values for a particular input

variable. HOMER repeats its optimization process for each value of that variable. An input variable for which you have specified multiple values is called a sensitive variable, and many sensitive variables can be defined. A sensitivity analysis can be referred to as one-dimensional if there is a single sensitive variable. If there are two sensitive variables, it is a two-dimensional sensitivity analysis, and so on. HOMER's has the most powerful graphical capabilities which is developed to help and examine the results of sensitivity analyses of two or more dimensions. Since Avg.Wind Speed of Coimbatore is too low if the same system is to be implemented in nearby area where there is large amount of wind available we had included the Sensitivity analysis of Avg.Wind Speed Vs Global Solar Energy.

Challenges Faced:
When performing a sensitivity analysis on the load, many sizes of each equipment type must be considered to meet the range of loads evaluated. To reduce the computation times HOMER runs were performed in an iterative process. Initially, the optimization search space considered only a few component sizes over a large range. Similarly, the sensitivity analyses covered a large range with few points. This helped to decrease the initial run-time. With each successive run, more options and variables were added to increase the resolution and fill in the search and sensitivity spaces.

Obtaining data for analyses such as these is always challenging. This is especially true for the wide variety of windmills that are commercially available. It is often hard to know a priori which inputs deserve a lot of effort getting precise data. Rough estimates of variables, such as O&M cost, lifetime, and part-load efficiency, can be entered into the program. A HOMER sensitivity analysis on these variables can then inform the user of the value of improving the accuracy of that input variable.

Glossary:
1. Salvage present value or the recovery value: The net value of the equipment used at the end of the system's service life. The salvage or the residual value

of components is based on the possibilities of alternative uses at the end of the project lifetime. 2. Feasible system: A system that satisfies the specified constraints. 3. Levelized cost of energy: The average cost of producing one kilowatt-hour of electricity, including capital, replacement, fuel, operating and maintenance costs. 4. Maximum annual capacity shortage: The percentage of the yearly total load that is allowed to go unserved by the system. 5. Net present cost: The present value of the cost of installing and operating the system over the lifetime of the project (also referred to as lifecycle cost). 6. Optimal system type: The combination of power-generation technologies with the lowest net present cost. 7. Renewable energy fraction: The portion of a systems total electrical production that originates from renewable power sources. 8. Search space: The set of all system configurations that HOMER evaluates. 9. Sensitivity analysis: An investigation into the extent to which changes in certain inputs affect a models outputs. 10. System type: A combination of power-generation technologies.