Sustainable Energy Technologies Assessments In Pakistan – A Study On 100% Renewable Energy Grid

Literature Review

Discuss About The Sustainable Energy Technologies Assessments.

One of the most prominent field that is gaining adequate attention in today’s era is the energy planning and era. The reason for the attention that the energy is gaining is associated with different researches that claims that energy and its use are one of the key components for the human and in the process development of a country (Foxon 2013). To validate the discussed point Bhattacharya et al. (2016) conducted a survey on 38 nations and proved the reliance on the major impact that energy and its consumption can have over a nation and its growth. However, it should also be noted that most of the scholars have cited their focus towards the renewable energy to have a sustainable growth of the nation because they have proved that non-renewable energy can have adverse effect on the nation. Hence, the proposed paper will attempt to focus on the renewable energy and its status, impact and barriers in a developing country “Pakistan”. The subject of the proposed paper will focus on 100 % renewable energy grid in Pakistan that is associated with the solar and wind hybrid energy system along with its feasibility. The proposed paper will devise its research questions based upon the literary work of past following that an insight into the approach that will be taken in consideration will be discussed along with the project planning and other necessary factors before concluding the paper.

The discussed section has taken consideration of the literary work of the past and attempted to identify the gap in literature that needs to be filled. Post identification of the gap in literature and gaining an insight into the subject, the research questions will be developed which the proposed paper will pursue to determine the validity of the expected outcome. The review of the literary work has taken account scholarly article and has been discussed in the following sub-sections:

Kolhe, Ranaweera and Gunawardana (2015) in their reviewed paper have discussed the crucial value of the renewable energy and how they are capable of mitigating the energy needs of the Sri Lankans. To attain their objective, they did techno-economic & optimum sizing of the “off-grid hybrid renewable energy system” based power systems. The paper adopted ‘HOMER’ software to attain ten objective of the paper and the findings of the paper reveals that the hybrid system was economically viable whether it was kept off-grid or was sharing association with the grid.

Objectives and Research Questions

The reviewed article is well-structured in nature and has offered a detailed understanding of the findings that were gathered while pursuing the research objectives. The only drawback that can be identified by reviewing of the discussed paper is the lack of adequate detailing over the methodology and the experimental lab set up that were equipped to attain the research objectives. The review of the literary work in discussion was selected because the paper is relevant to the proposed objective and can been considered as a platform for the proposed research work. Additionally, Sri Lanka is a neighbouring country of Pakistan (the area of proposed research work) and is developing in nature like the subject area. Hence, relevancy can be derived from the reviewed research work that will assist in attaining a successful completion of the proposed work.

Bahramara, Moghaddam and Haghifam (2016) in the reviewed article have stated that “Renewable energy resources are the appropriate alternatives for traditional resources to meet the increasing energy consumption, especially in electricity sector.” which acted as their motivation to pursue the paper. In the reviewed paper they focused on the integrative ideas that can be adopted to leveraged the energy sources (both traditional and renewable) while maintaining the sustainability standards. They also pressurised on the fact that the above mentioned statement can only be validated if the optimal sizing of the HRESs (hybrid renewable energy systems) are determined. To attain the discussed purpose, they adopted the HOMER tool. The paper adopted secondary method to attain its objectives and in the process reviewed all the research works that adopted HOMER as part of their experimental set to offer a generalised outcome. Post evaluating, identifying and discussing over the data collected in the discussed process they stated that HRESs are the most adequate tool to cope up with the demands of the loads in remote, rural and some considerable urban areas.

The reviewed article is well structured and have discussed all the necessary details of the research work however, the introduction and conclusion of the paper are very concise which can prove to be troublesome for the readers. The review of the paper has enabled the author of the proposed paper to understand the viability of the HOMER tool in optimal sizing of the HRESs and how they are capable of assisting in attaining the objectives of the proposed research work. Additionally, the reviewed paper will also be taken as a reference to cross verify the findings of the proposed research work which will offer reliability over the findings.

Experimental Methodology

Ramli, hiendro and Al-Turki (2016), in the reviewed article have attempted at analysing the techno-economic energy of hybrid (solar and wind) system established in the western coast of the Saudi Arabia. The focus of the discussed paper has been cited on the cost, production and consumption of the wind and the solar energy of the hybrid system. The paper has adopted assistance of the HOMER and the MATLAB to attain the technical and economic aspects of the paper. The results reveal that the production of the energy is more contributed by the solar source than the wind generator while the cost of the solar energy is also more efficient in nature than the wind. However, the consumption of the energy is generalised and kept at the same level. Another notable finding of the paper reveal that the cost associated in the hybrid systems are mostly associated with the wind turbine and the batteries.

The paper in review is an excellent paper to focus because it is well structured and detailed in nature and no potential drawback was identified. Additionally, the review of the paper has also enabled the author of the proposed paper to understand the fact that due the high intensity of the wind and solar radiation in the western coast of the Saudi Arabia, the success ratio of the system in discussion is amplified. It will assist in understanding that the optimal sizing of the system in consideration may vary due to the geographical different parts of the Pakistan.

The review of the papers above has enabled the author of the proposed paper to gain an insight over the hybrid system and has also assisted in developing an idea about the software, tools and techniques that can assist in attaining the objective of the proposed paper. The core findings from the review reveals that the wind tools and techniques in the hybrid system are more cost consuming than the solar part and are also less productive in nature compared to its counterpart. It has also been identified that the discussed hybrid system can prove to be of greater success in particular parts of the country in subject rather than the others. Taking consideration of the above points and other findings from the paper the research aims and objectives that the proposed paper will pursue has been listed in the following section.

The aims and questions of the proposed paper has been listed as follows:

• Discussion over the Optimal sizing of the Hybrid energy system of Pakistan.
• Technical and economic feasibility of the system in consideration according to their type (solar or wind)
• Will the system be successful in all the rural areas of Pakistan or can some provinces leverage the system better than others?
• Discussion over the tools that which will assist in attaining the objective.
• Can some other renewable energy system prove to be of greater efficiency than the ones in consideration?

Data Collection

Hypothesis (H₁): Optimal Sizing of Solar & Wind Hybrid Energy Systems & Techno-Economic Feasibility of 100% Renewable Electric Grid in Pakistan is a core necessity to ensure the success of the system and to leverage it to its full potentiality.

Null Hypothesis (H₀): Optimal Sizing of Solar & Wind Hybrid Energy Systems & Techno-Economic Feasibility of 100% Renewable Electric Grid in Pakistan is not the core necessity to ensure the success of the system and to leverage it to its full potentiality.

One of the above discussed hypothesis will be validated through the proposed paper which will offer a substantial advantage to the adoption of the renewable energy sources in Pakistan, if the first hypothesis is evaluated to be true. The validation will be done through the discussed research work and for the successful validation of the former an experimental set-up will be established to ensure that the outcome is reliable and tested. The section following will offer an insight into the experimental details that will be adopted to pursue the proposed paper’s objective.

The review of the literary work of the past has assisted in understand the core needs of the research work in the discussed area along with the methods through which the proposed objective can be attained. Hence, the paper will take assistance of the HOMER and the MATLAB tools to attain the discussed objectives. The HOMER tool developed by the “National Renewable Energy Laboratory” of the United States is abbreviated form of the “Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources” and is an optimising and simulating tool. It is the most prominent tool for the optimal sizing of the renewable grids and the author of the proposed paper will use the trial version of the tool that is available on the official website of the software in discussion. The use of trial version is based on the economic limitation of the author. The use of trial version will also limit the research findings because the trial versions may lack some features of the Pro version that may restrict the complete use of the tool.

Another tool that will be used as part of the research work is the MATLAB mathematical tool. It will be adopted to simplify the mathematical calculations that will be the part of the paper and in the process enhance the reliability of the calculations. The tool in discussion is one of the most prominent choice as a mathematical tool and will assist in evaluating the technical and economic aspects of the research work. The author will pursue the objective with the MATLAB 2018 version and attain its objectives. Another limitation that may be part of the process in the collection of the relevant data from the grids due to the limited approach.

Results and Conclusion

It should be noted that if additional, tool or techniques adopted as part of the proposed research work depending upon the needs at the time of research work will be mentioned in the final submission.

The variables in the discussed scenario will be the energy production and cost associated with the traditional energy sources and the solar/ wind sources. The variables will be evaluated using the parameter such as the KW, KWH, $ and others. The investigation of the variables will also be based upon the sustainability, economic, technical, maintenance and other core factors.

The expected outcome of the paper is results relevant to the optimal sizing of the hybrid renewable electric grid and the its prominence in the current scenario. The benefits that Pakistan will enjoy on adoption of the discussed hybrid renewable energy systems are also expected out of the paper. The findings of the paper will be relevant in the real-life scenario because the discussed system has its advantages in the rural and remote areas of a nation and Pakistan is mostly based in the rural areas and hence will greatly benefit them. Additionally, the results from the paper will motivate the readers to move towards renewable energy sources and develop an adequate adoption technique for the system in consideration by taking consideration of the technical and economic aspects of the system.

Task Name	Duration	Start	Finish	Predecessors
Optimal sizing and techno-economic feasibility of HRESs in Pakistan	124 days	Thu 14-06-18	Tue 04-12-18
Initiation phase	41 days	Thu 14-06-18	Thu 09-08-18
Identification of Subject Matter	10 days	Thu 14-06-18	Wed 27-06-18
Proposed Measures	7 days	Thu 28-06-18	Fri 06-07-18	3
Background	10 days	Mon 09-07-18	Fri 20-07-18	4
Literature Review	8 days	Mon 23-07-18	Wed 01-08-18	5
Scope Review	6 days	Thu 02-08-18	Thu 09-08-18	6
Development Phase	72 days	Fri 10-08-18	Mon 19-11-18
Optimal Sizing	20 days	Fri 10-08-18	Thu 06-09-18	7
Technical analysis	20 days	Fri 07-09-18	Thu 04-10-18	9
Economic Analysis	21 days	Fri 05-10-18	Fri 02-11-18	10
Research Processing	11 days	Mon 05-11-18	Mon 19-11-18	11
Closure phase	11 days	Tue 20-11-18	Tue 04-12-18
Dissertation submission	1 day	Tue 20-11-18	Tue 20-11-18	12
Oral presentation	10 days	Wed 21-11-18	Tue 04-12-18	14

Table 1: Gantt Chart Table

(Source: Created by Author)

Conclusion

The proposed research work can be emphasised to state that the optimal sizing of the hybrid renewable energy systems is a core need to leverage their potentiality. Hence, the proposed paper will attempt at discussing the prominence that the discussed measure can offer by assessing the discussion in real world scenario. The real world scenario in the discussed case will be relevant to the hybrid renewable solar & wind energy system based electric grid in Pakistan. Additionally, the focus over the technical and economic aspect of the system will also be done to attain an adequate and reliable finding that are vital in the real-world application. The discussed objectives will be achieved with assistance of experimental tools and the tools that will be part of the research work are the HOMER, the optimising tool and the MATLA, the mathematical tool. The proposal of the proposed research work has also offered a review of the literary works of the past to develop an idea about the proposed work and develop a platform for the same. The project Plan with assistance of the Gantt chart and the table has been attached in the paper above to discuss the time framework. The expected outcome has also been added as part of the research work. Hence, in conclusion it can be emphasised to state that the proposed research work is of great vitality and is also feasible in nature due to its real-world application which will offer an adequate idea about the hybrid renewable energy system to the readers and the country in context.

References

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Ramli, M.A., Hiendro, A. and Al-Turki, Y.A., 2016. Techno-economic energy analysis of wind/solar hybrid system: Case study for western coastal area of Saudi Arabia. Renewable energy, 91, pp.374-385.

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