UNIVERSITY OF GONDAR

INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

TECHNICAL REPORT WRITING

Design of a PV and PV-Wind Energy System in Ethiopia

Project done By: ID No.

Abi Abraham……………………….
Amanuel Engida ………………......
Gebretsadik Shibesh ……………….
Lemi Tsegaye ……………………..
Tamiru Fantaye ……………………

Advisor: Mr. Anteneh K.

02,2014
Acknowledgement
We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to our instructor Mr. Anteneh K. for introducing us
to this project and assisting us with the proper lecture and materials or making this report. We
would also like to thank our friends and classmates for helping us by providing ideas and
suggestions for the report.
Abstract
This report describes the need for a PV and PV-wind energy system in the world of energy
distribution. It describes the uses of harnessing the energies in our local area and producing a
clean and efficient energy system that can be integrated in every household and industry. The
purpose of this study was focused on assessment of stand-alone photovoltaic-wind power
systems performance and reliability for distributing electricity in Ethiopia.

Ethiopia has abundant solar energy potential and the wind energy potential is unquestionably
high enough to be exploited for generating electric energy using wind turbines with low cut-in
wind speed. The design of a standalone PV-wind hybrid power generating system has proceeded
based on the promising findings of these two renewable energy resource potentials, wind and
solar.

Based on research of many former studies on this particular subject, we have identified plenty of
setbacks and factors that can be an obstacle in building a PV-wind energy system in Ethiopia.

Some of these factors include scarce availability of equipment, low availability of skilled
manpower, accumulation of dust, failure of the components, weather conditions, high
temperature and shading.

So it is critical to consider every factor in building a PV-wind energy system in Ethiopia.

1. Introduction
Energy is an extremely vital source for human existence. We use many types of energy in our
daily lives like heat, electricity, light, wind, solar etc. In the modern world, the main source of
energy is electrical energy. Despite being insignificant compared to the light and heat energy we
get from the sun, electricity is the blood flow of modern civilization. Many aspects of modern
day technological advances are dependent on electrical energy. Electricity powers all, if not,
most of today’s machines and electronics which is why it is vital to produce and distribute it in
many different ways to meet the needs of humans. Electricity is produced from many sources.
These include

 Hydro-electric dams
 Solar panels
 Nuclear power plants
 Wind turbines
 Batteries

Renewable energy resources like solar and wind offer clean and economically competitive
alternatives to conventional power generation where high wind speed and high solar radiation are
available. For meeting the energy demand, PV-wind hybrid power generating systems can be
beneficial in enhancing the economic and environmental sustainability of renewable energy
systems. Growing public concerns over global warming as an impending outcome of greenhouse
gas emissions initiated by energy resources based on fossil fuels have encouraged studying
cleaner energy options, like PV, biomass, wind, and micro hydro systems for several
applications.

Renewable resources such as solar and wind energy which change randomly are individually less
reliable. However, in many regions, when solar and wind resources are combined for power
generation, they complement each other by means of daily and seasonal variations. Combining
these two renewable energy sources could make the system more reliable, and the system costs
might slightly decrease depending on the regional conditions. However, the energy system sizing
procedure and operation control strategies are getting more complex due to the nonlinear
components’ physical characteristics.

Several economic viability and technical availability studies are carried out to assess choice of
PV-wind hybrid power systems configurations that serve power to the load with the certain
reliability criteria. The number of PV panels, wind turbines, battery cells, load profiles and
available renewable resources plays a significant role in sizing of PV-wind hybrid power system.
Researchers and scientists mostly use deterministic and probabilistic methods to size and
simulate the PV-wind hybrid power system. In deterministic method, time-series data such as
wind speed, solar radiation, ambient temperature, load profile, and site geographic position like
latitude, longitude, and altitude are assumed to be known. Resource data like wind speed, solar
radiation, ambient temperature, and load profile are needed.

Background of the Study

Ethiopia has every resources and manpower needed to build any power generation system in the
country. In the case of PV-wind hybrid systems, though the scarce availability of materials, can
be built because Ethiopia has all the atmospheric conditions to generate maximum power from
these hybrid systems. Since Ethiopia is located near the Equator, the solar resource potential is
significant. The yearly mean average daily radiation reaching the ground is 5.2 kWh/m2/day
(Stutenbaumer et al.,1999). There are seasonal variations as well as variation with physical
locations. Further, throughout Ethiopia, the distribution of the global daily radiation around the
yearly mean is quite narrow. The average for Ethiopia as a whole indicates that over 90 % of the
radiation intensity is within 10 % of the mean value (Master plan Wind and solar FDRE, 2012).

Figure1: Global irradiation incident on optimally inclined equator-oriented PV modules

in Ethiopia (Master plan report Wind and Solar FDRE, 2012).
Ethiopian basic wind speed value ranges from 25 to 55 m/s. Many parts of Ethiopia have
different wind speeds and wind directions. Some of these places experiencing very high wind
speeds while others seeing relatively slow wind speeds. The following figure shows the general
wind speed data in Ethiopia.

Figure 2: Basic wind speed map of Ethiopia

Standalone power system

A stand-alone power system (SAPS or SPS), also known as remote area power supply (RAPS),
is an off-the-grid electricity system for locations that are not fitted with an electricity
distribution system. Typical SAPS include one or more methods of electricity generation, energy
storage, and regulation.

Storage is typically implemented as a battery bank, but other solutions exist including fuel cells.
Power drawn directly from the battery will be direct current extra-low voltage (DC ELV), and
this is used especially for lighting as well as for DC appliances. An inverter is used to generate
AC low voltage, which more typical appliances can be used with.

Stand-alone photovoltaic power systems are independent of the utility grid and may use solar
panels only or may be used in conjunction with a diesel generator, a wind turbine or batteries.

Problem Statement
In Ethiopia, there is a low availability of electricity due to the fact that there is not enough power
producing stations in the country. There are still many areas in the country where people use
firewood for cooking and lanterns or candles for light. A standalone power system will not only
help people in their daily lives but it will also bring about change in the agriculture sector by
providing electricity to power various farm machines like water pumps, grinding mills and flour
mills. It can also power radio receivers and light emitting equipment.

Objective of the study

General objective

The main objective of this study is to analyze the methods required for establishing a photo
voltaic wind energy system in rural parts of Ethiopia.

Specific Objectives

 To identify the tools needed for making a PV-wind energy system

 To assess the environmental conditions of the surrounding where the system is to be built
 To analyze the cost of making this power generating system
2) Methodology
2.1 Tools needed to make the PV-wind standalone energy system

A. Photovoltaic system

A photovoltaic (PV) system is composed of one or more solar panels combined with an inverter
and other electrical and mechanical hardware that use energy from the Sun to generate
electricity. Photovoltaic systems consist of modules, inverter, converters, energy storage, and
electrical and mechanical equipment to generate AC and DC power. Generally, PV systems are
classified into three types: grid-connected PV systems, stand-alone PV systems, and hybrid PV
systems. Designing and sizing PV systems is the most crucial stage in a PV project. Among the
most common failures that affect PV system performance are junction box failures, bypass
diode failures, and broken glasses.

Figure 2.1: A standalone Photovoltaic system

B. Wind turbine

A wind turbine is a device that converts the wind's kinetic energy into electrical energy. They are
an increasingly important source of intermittent renewable energy, and are used in many
countries to lower energy costs and reduce reliance on fossil fuels. One study claimed that, as of
2009, wind had the "lowest relative greenhouse gas emissions, the least water consumption
demands and... the most favorable social impacts" compared to photovoltaic, hydro, geothermal,
coal and gas. Wind turbines, like windmills, are mounted on a tower to capture the most energy.
At 30 meters or more above ground, they can take advantage of the faster and less turbulent
wind. Turbines catch the wind's energy with their propeller-like blades. Usually, two or three
blades are mounted on a shaft to form a rotor. When the wind blows, a pocket of low-pressure air
forms on the downwind side of the blade. The low-pressure air pocket then pulls the blade
toward it, causing the rotor to turn. This is called lift. The force of the lift is actually much
stronger than the wind's force against the front side of the blade, which is called drag. The
combination of lift and drag causes the rotor to spin like a propeller, and the turning shaft spins a
generator to make electricity.

Figure 2.2: A typical wind turbine station

Figure 2.3: Schematics of a wind turbine

C. Battery storage
Battery storage, or battery energy storage systems (BESS), are devices that enable energy from
renewables, like solar and wind, to be stored and then released when customers need power
most.

The battery stores electricity for use at night or for meeting loads during the day when the
modules are not generating sufficient power to meet load requirements. A storage battery is an
electrochemical cell which stores energy in chemical bonds. The cell is the basic electrochemical
unit in a battery, consisting of a set of positive and negative plates divided by separators,
immersed in electrolyte solution and enclosed in a case.

Lithium-ion batteries, which are used in mobile phones and electric cars, are currently the
dominant storage technology for large scale plants to help electricity grids ensure a reliable
supply of renewable energy.

A battery storage power station is a type of energy storage power station that uses a group
of batteries to store electrical energy. Battery storage is the fastest responding dispatchable
source of power on grids, and it is used to stabilize grids, as battery storage can transition from
standby to full power within milliseconds to deal with grid failures.

Figure 2.4: A battery storage along with a PV- wind energy generation system
D. Power inverter

A power inverter is a power electronic device or circuitry that changes direct current (DC)
to alternating current (AC). The resulting AC frequency obtained depends on the particular
device employed. The input voltage, output voltage and frequency, and overall power handling
depend on the design of the specific device or circuitry. The inverter does not produce any
power; the power is provided by the DC source. A power inverter can be entirely electronic or
may be a combination of mechanical effects (such as a rotary apparatus) and electronic
circuitry. Static inverters do not use moving parts in the conversion process.

A power inverter will often have an overall power rating expressed in watts or kilowatts. This
describes the power that will be available to the device the inverter is driving and, indirectly, the
power that will be needed from the DC source.

Figure 2.5: A diagram for a solar power inverter system

The combination of these components will produce the required power in the form that the user
wants. The solar panel and the wind turbine are pollution free power generation systems since
they utilize wind energy and solar energy; both of which are naturally available resources.

The following figure shows the combination of these components into one system

Figure 2.6.1: PV- Wind energy system for household

Figure 2.6.2: PV-Wind energy system for agriculture use

2.2 Environmental assessment
The following table shows average wind speed data for some regions with higher wind speeds in
Ethiopia.

Region Wind speed(m/s)

Addis Ababa 44.87
Adele 39.78
Adwa 54.57
Alemaya 49.55
Arbaminch 40.25
Atsibe 54.45
Aysha 43.30
Bore 39.64
Burjisoyoma 42.36
Chercher 52.38
Dagahabour 54.87
Debre Berhan 38.41
Delomena 45.27
Dinkiti 51.83
Doloddo 52.69
Elkere 54.46
Freweini 54.50
Ginir 47.36
Humera 48.65
Jijiga 54.65
Kebirdehar 54.85
Moyale 48.78
Shiraro 49.89

The following figure shows solar radiation in Ethiopia

Figure 2.8: Average solar radiation of Ethiopia

2.3 Cost analysis
The following table shows the individual cost of the items needed to make the PV-wind
standalone hybrid system.

No. Item Rating Capital cost Replacement cost lifetime

1 Solar PV 1KW 2500$ 2000 20 yr
2 Wind turbine 75KW 16870$ 11809 20 yr
3 Batteries 12V,2.3KWh 300 300 1000kwh
4 Power inverter 1KW 650 650 10 yr

By analyzing the following data, the total cost of the PV-wind standalone system will range from

20,000 to 25000 dollars without considering replacement costs.

In today’s market, this value will be ranging from 1,000,000 to 1,350,000 in Ethiopian birr
excluding taxes and shipment costs. Since the materials and maintenance equipment are not
produced in Ethiopia, they have to be shipped from abroad and this can be time and money
consuming.

3. Conclusion
After analyzing the data, the place that will get the highest amount of energy from PV-Wind
standalone energy system will be Adwa since the wind speed there has an average value of
54.57m/s and based on figure 2.8, the solar radiation level is in the range of 7500 – 7750 MJ/m2
so both the solar panels and the wind turbine will have a maximum output of electricity from the
wind speed and solar radiation level of Adwa. But given the benefits of the PV-Wind energy
system, it is a profitable investment to build it anywhere in the country regardless of the cost and
environmental conditions for the following main reasons

 It is a clean energy source

 It can be built at any place that has the appropriate environmental conditions
 It helps avoid the cost of transmitting electricity through long distances
 It requires lower maintenance compared to other energy generation plants
 It requires a reasonable capital to build compared to other energy generating devices
 It requires less space compared to hydro-electric dams and nuclear reactors
References
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Performance and Reliability for Rural Electrification in Ethiopia

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Energy Supply System

4. Jariso, M.; Khan, B.; Tesfaye, D.; Singh, J. Modelling and Designing of Stand-Alone
Photovoltaic System

5. K. Hasan, K. Fatima, and M. S. Mahmood, “Feasibility of hybrid power generation over wind
and solar standalone system

6. Mulualem T. Yeshalem and Baseem Khan, Design of an off-grid hybrid PV/wind power
system for remote mobile base station: A case study

7. Wikipedia.com

8. Climatebiz.com