International Journal of Ambient Energy

ISSN: 0143-0750 (Print) 2162-8246 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/taen20

Design and simulation of a solar–wind–biogas

hybrid system architecture using HOMER in India

Sambeet Mishra, C.K. Panigrahi & D.P. Kothari

To cite this article: Sambeet Mishra, C.K. Panigrahi & D.P. Kothari (2014): Design and
simulation of a solar–wind–biogas hybrid system architecture using HOMER in India,
International Journal of Ambient Energy, DOI: 10.1080/01430750.2014.915886

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01430750.2014.915886

Accepted online: 24 Apr 2014.Published

online: 27 May 2014.

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 International Journal of Ambient Energy, 2014
http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/01430750.2014.915886

Design and simulation of a solar–wind–biogas hybrid system architecture using

HOMER in India
Sambeet Mishraa∗ , C.K. Panigrahia and D.P. Kotharib
a School of Electrical Engineering, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India; b JB Group of Educational Institutions, Hyderabad, India
(Received 31 October 2013; accepted 8 April 2014 )

The renewable energy sources are accompanied by certain constraints as reliability, availability and continuous generation.
In India, biomass is considered as the second best suitable combination with other renewable energy sources. Both solar and
wind are undependable renewable energies as they are unpredictable. Now the key to successful renewable energy harvesting
lies in the selection of hybrid system architecture for power generation. In rural areas, light is usually unavailable and if it
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does, it is mostly an incandescent light used for household lighting instead of fluorescent. System reliability, economy and
environmental issues are the three major issues for decentralised electrification. So, finding the best suited hybrid system
configuration to overcome these constraints is the need of the hour. It is at this stage that HOMER comes into the picture.
HOMER, abbreviated name of hybrid optimization model for electric renewable, successfully realises system configuration
before its installation and works for on-grid, off-grid and stand-alone systems, which make it useful for rural to urban
applications. It simulates and optimises the best suitable solution for a hybrid system and generates reports incorporating all
the aspects in designing a system. Here, a typical hybrid system is considered and the implementation of HOMER software
has been incorporated.
Keywords: hybrid; renewable; resource assessment; load; energy

1. Introduction One cow produces cow manure of 15–16 kg; 60 cows =

The primary objective is to carry out the modelling of
photovoltaic (PV)-biomass and wind-biomass hybrid sys-
tem using hybrid optimization model for electric renewable
(HOMER) application. To model the hybrid systems, a
remote area of India is assumed having a population of 100
persons (20 families). The cost and lifespan of the equip-
ment (wind turbine and solar modules) are taken from the
trusted sources of Internet and published papers for the
models and the energy consumption calculation has been
done for a basic rural need. Justification for using light
emitting diode (LED) instead of the existing compact fluo-
rescent lamp (CFL)/incandescent has been done. Individual
systems are configured implementing HOMER and the sim-
ulation reports are generated. In addition to that from the
HOMER-generated reports, a comparison is made on the
basis of two key issues, viz. cost and environment, to find
out the best solution for a decentralised hybrid power system
among the two-system architectures.
2. Renewable resource inputs
2.1. Biomass resource
In the present considered system, there are 20 families.
Assuming an average of three cows per family, total number
of cows becomes 60 (Singh 2010).
60 × 15 = 900 kg/day (Agrawal and Gupta 2009).
Hundred men produce human waste of 100 kg/day
(approximately).
Total biogas fuel produced per day = 1 tonne.
From one cow’s manure, 0.036 m3 biogas is produced;
again, 0.025 m3 biogas is produced from one human waste.
To produce 1 kWh of power, 2–3 m3 biogas is needed.
This costs around $435 in India.
The resource of biomass is the source of biogas for
generator fuel. User can give monthly input in tonnes/day
manner; Homer then scales the baseline data up or down to
the scaled annual average value (Angus Council 2012).
2.2. Solar resource
The location of Bhubaneswar, India is latitude 20.3◦ North
and 85.8◦ East; IST (GMT +05:30). Homer evaluates PV
array power for the year on a hourly basis. Again, Homer
uses latitude value to calculate the average daily radia-
tion from the clearness index and vice versa (Singh 2010).
User can directly input data to the solar resource or Homer
acquires solar resource data from NASA Atmospheric
Science Data Centre for the provided coordinates.
The capital cost for the installation of solar photostatic
is $1833, where replacement cost is $1650 for the given

∗ Corresponding author. Email: sambeet.mishra@live.com

© 2014 Taylor & Francis

 2 S. Mishra et al.

system (The Times of India 2012). Since there is no oper- Table 1. Comparison of different kinds of lights.
ation and maintenance cost for the solar power, it is taken
Approximate
as 0. The considered sizes are up to 8 kW. The cost curve
LED Incandescent CFL Halogen lumen
indicates the difference between the capital cost and the (W) (W) (W) (W) range (lm)
replacement cost. The output of the solar power is DC, con-
sidered lifespan is 20 years. The derating factor which is 1.3 12–15 – – –
the variation due to the dust accumulation on the surface of 3 25 5–6 25 130
30 7–9 – –
the solar panel and temperature variation is set to be 80%. 4–5 40 9–13 45 450
There is no tracking system and the panels are fixed type. 6–8 60 13–15 60 750
9–13 75 18–25 – 1000
16–20 100 25–30 – 1400
2.3. Wind resources
A generic 1 kW horizontal axis wind turbine is considered.
The electricity generated from the wind turbine depends Table 2. Lifespan of different types of lights.
upon the wind speed variations and the availability.
The capital cost is considered to be $3000 and the Average Halogen
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replacement cost is $3000 as well. The operation and main- lifespan LED Incandescent bulb CFL
tenance charges are considered to be 0. The power and 50,000 h 1200 h 2000 h 8000 h
cost curves are generated. The considered wind turbine
has a hub height of 25 m and the lifetime is considered
to be 25 years. The scaled annual average wind speed
Table 3. Appliances used in the project.
is 4.78 m/s.
Sl. no. Appliances AC/DC No. in use Power (W)
3. System architecture 1 LED lights AC 4 × 20 = 80 10 W each
3.1. Energy consumption 2 Ceiling fans AC 2 × 25 = 50 25 W each
3 Colour TV AC 1 × 20 = 20 60 W each
Energy is becoming one of the basic needs of the people. 4 Mobile charging AC 1 × 20 = 20 0.02 W per
However, the demand for energy greatly depends on the mobile
living style and habitat. In the case of the urban areas, peo-
ple use considerably more numbers of electronic appliances
than the rural areas. The hunger for power is increasing dras-
CFLs, charging mobile phones and watching TV, as shown
tically in the recent years. But in the case of rural areas, the
in Table 3.
consumption of the energy is quite low as the use of appli-
Energy demand in India varies month wise. Again, the
ances is significantly less. The very basic structure of a rural
hourly demand of load varies extensively in rural areas as
house consists of two to three fans, two to four lights, a TV
per the use. Considering most probable variation in the elec-
and a mobile.
tricity consumption at rural areas, the data set is prepared
The light is one of the most required forms of energy.
to configure the hybrid energy system models. The system
In general, the incandescent/CFL bulbs are mostly used in
designs are based on an assumption of 100 persons resid-
rural places. It consumes more electricity and provides less
ing in a remote area. The following are the data taken into
light. This problem draws more attention and can greatly
account to configure the models:
affect the load demand.In Table 1, different types of light
Number of persons = 100.
are shown in accordance to their electricity consumption in
Number of families becomes 20, considering five mem-
Watt. The intensity of the light is also given to compare the
bers in each family. In rural areas, the need for electricity is
different types of light available and used. It is clear from
very low; hence the demand is low. Considering the basic
Table 1 that the LED is the best performer among them. A
needs at rural areas, calculation is made. The following is a
small comparison is also given in Table 2 to provide a better
sample calculation:
view of the payback period. The lifespan of the LED is also
better.
Hence, the lighting system taken into consideration is
the LED. It not only provides a better light but also proves 2 fans = 25 W ∗ 2 nos. ∗ 15 h = 750 Wh;
to give a better lifespan favouring best economical choice. 4 bulbs = 10 W ∗ 4 nos. ∗ 5 h = 200 Wh;
In a remote rural village, the demand for electricity is 1 TV = 60 W ∗ 1 no. ∗ 5 h = 300 Wh;
not as high as in urban areas. The basic energy requirements mobile charging is 0.02 W. For 20 families =
of the 20 families that have been considered are primar- 0.4 Wh;
ily classified as the domestic load. In the domestic sector, total is = 750 + 200 + 300 + 0.4 = 1250.4 W =
electricity is required to use appliances like ceiling fans, 1.2504 kWh per family per day;
 International Journal of Ambient Energy
for 20 families:
1.2504 kWh × 20 families = 25.008 kWh =
approx.25 kWh per day.
The month-wise load of the 20 families is given below
in the form of a table.
3.2. Modelling of system architecture in HOMER
With the help of HOMER, two different systems are
designed as shown in Figures 1 and 2. The first system
is a configuration of solar–biogas hybrid power system,
whereas the second one is a wind–biogas hybrid power sys-
tem. The output of solar array and wind turbine is DC, so
they are connected in the DC side. The output of the biomass
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is AC, hence connected in the AC side.
Different parameters and components of the system are
as follows:
Primary load
The electrical demand is termed as load. It is designed
in HOMER to meet the need for a specific time. The
calculations made above for the hourly load is used to enter
Figure 1. PV biogas hybrid power plant.
Figure 2. Wind biogas hybrid power plant.
3
the values in HOMER. The HOMER plots the hourly load
month-wise to create a better understanding of the seasonal
demand profile. This is the first step in configuring sys-
tem architecture. Figure 3 shows the primary load after the
set of data is entered. Scaled annual average of the system
is 19.2 kWh/day and the peak load is 3.96 kWh. The load
factor is 0.202.
3.3. Resource assessment
The resource assessment of biomass and solar is shown in
Figures 4 and 5.
3.3.1. Wind resources
A generic 1 kW horizontal axis wind turbine is considered.
The electricity generated from the wind turbine depends
upon the wind speed variations and the availability. The cap-
ital cost is considered to be $3000 and the replacement cost
is $3000 as well. The operation and maintenance charges
are considered to be 0. The power and cost curves generated
are shown in Figure 5. The considered wind turbine has a
hub height of 25 m and the lifetime is considered to be 25
years. Figure 6 shows the wind speed in m/s month wise.
The scaled annual average is 4.78 m/s.
3.3.2. Battery
The batteries are used for the purpose of backup and
maintain a constant voltage in peak load or shortfall in
the generation. HOMER implements a battery bank/string
consisting 24 numbers of batteries in a series–parallel
connection.
The battery chosen for this study is Surrette 4KS25P
from the battery types provided by HOMER. The specifica-
tion of the battery is 4 V, 1900 Ah, 7.6 kWh with a lifetime
power of 10,569 kWh with cycle charging. The cost curve is
shown in Figure 6. The capital, replacement, and operation
and maintenance costs are $300, $300 and $15, respectively.
3.3.3. Converter
A converter is an electronic device used in hybrid power
generation to maintain the continuity of energy among AC
and DC electrical components. It consists of an inverter and
rectifier to perform the conversion from AC to DC and vice
versa.
Figure 6 shows the capital, replacement and operation
and maintenance costs for 1 kW which is considered to be
$900, $900 and $90, respectively. The lifespan of the con-
verter is considered to be 15 years, inverter efficiency is 90%
and the efficiency of the rectifier is 85%. The cost curve is
also shown in Figure 6.
3.3.4. Equipment considered
The search space consists of the list of the component sizes
used in the analysis to model the best fit hybrid system
 4 S. Mishra et al.

Figure 3. Primary load.

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Figure 4. Biomass resource.

Figure 5. Solar radiation and clearness index.

architecture. Thus, preferable combinations for the load
demand can be obtained.
Figures 7 and 8 show the overall winner and the category
winner in different combinations of solar biogas and wind
biogas hybrid power system, respectively. The combination
consists of PV array, G1 wind turbine and converter and
S4KS25P battery.
3.3.5. Sensitivity inputs
In the design of a micropower system, the key variables are
often uncertain. It is one of the major problems to be consid-
ered in the design of the system to overcome the constraints.
HOMER conducts a sensitivity analysis on the basis of
hourly data and scaling variables, which takes into account
the uncertainties involved in primary load and sustainable
 International Journal of Ambient Energy
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Figure 6. Wind speed in m/s month wise.
Figure 7. Solar biogas hybrid system search space.
Figure 8. Wind biogas hybrid system search space.
energy sources (wind, solar and biogas). Thus, it helps the
designer to configure a practical model.
Figure 9 describes the key variables involved in a
decentralised electrification for a year. The uncertain
variables are electrical load, solar radiation, wind speed
5
and biomass production. For each of these values, the
complete system is simulated with the resulting differ-
ent technical and cost parameters. The optical solution
is found where the system is able to meet the entire
demand.
 6 S. Mishra et al.
Figure 9. Sensitivity inputs.
4. Discussion and comparison
The primary objective of the HOMER is to provide a cost-
effective solution by minimizing the net present cost (NPC)
in the optimised system architecture. The main difference
between a renewable energy system and non-renewable
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energy system on the basis of cost is non-renewable energy
system has a low capital and a high life-cycle cost, but
renewable energy system includes a high initial investment
and a low life-cycle cost.
Emission is one of the key issues that is taken into con-
sideration in any system architecture. Environmental poli-
cies made by the government strictly impose the regulations
for emission rate and preventive measures. Again, HOMER
supports the clean energy development mechanism.
Figure 10. Solar PV biomass hybrid system cash flow summary.
Figure 11. Wind biomass hybrid power system cash flow summary.
In order to come to a judgement, a comparison is
done between the reports generated by the HOMER for
the two hybrid systems. The comparison includes the cost
analysis and the emission table for the individual system
architecture.
4.1. Cost analysis
Cost is one of the major factors that is taken into consider-
ation while designing a system. The HOMER generates a
cash flow summary to give a clear picture of the involved
costs.
In Figure 10, a cash flow summary chart is shown which
involves the capital, replacement, operating, fuel and sal-
vage costs with respect to the NPC for the PV biomass
hybrid power system.
Figure 11 explains the cash flow summary for the wind
biomass hybrid power system. Taking the calculated values
of total NPC, levelised cost of energy and operating cost
using HOMER into account for individual system architec-
ture, Table 4 shows a comparison between the costs in both
the models.
From Table 4, it is clearly evident that the NPC, levelised
cost of energy and operating costs in the case of the solar
PV–biomass hybrid system architecture is significantly
 International Journal of Ambient Energy 7

Table 4. Cost comparison table.

Cost summary PV biomass Wind biomass Difference

Total NPC $15,611 $35,080 $19,469

Levelised cost $0.174/kWh $0.358/kWh $0.184
of energy
Operating cost $811/year $1633/year $822

Table 5. Electrical analysis.

Figure 13. Monthly average electric production of
Hybrid wind–biomass model.
system Production Fraction Consumption
structure Components (kWh/year) (%) (kWh/year) Table 6. Emission comparison table.

Solar– PV array 1496 18 7008 Emissions (kg/year)

biomass
Biomass 6728 82 Pollutant PV–biomass Wind–biomass Difference
Wind– Wind turbine 1228 12 7665
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Carbon dioxide 0.594 0.716 0.122

biomass
Carbon 0.0223 0.0269 4.6 × 10−3
Biomass 8781 88
monoxide
Unburned 0.00247 0.00298 5.1 × 10−4
hydrocarbons
Particulate 0.00168 0.00203 3.5 × 10−4
matter
Sulphur dioxide 0 0 0
Nitrogen oxide 0.199 0.24 0.041

individual parameters into consideration, the emission com-

Figure 12. Monthly average electric production of PV–biomass
model.
lower than the wind–biomass hybrid system architecture as
the difference is high enough. Thus, from the economical
point of view, the PV-biomass system is more feasible than
that of the wind-biomass.
parison table (Table 6) is drawn to meet a conclusion of
finding a more environmental friendly system.
Cost and environment are the two key aspects in a mod-
elling of hybrid system. The comparisons in Table 6 clearly
explain the advantages of PV–biomass over the wind–
biomass hybrid power system. Finally, PV–biomass hybrid
power generation has turned out to be the best option for a
decentralised electrification system, taking the economical
and environmental issues into consideration.

4.2. Electrical analysis

The electrical analysis was done to determine the use of the
components to produce power in kWh/year.
From Table 5 and Figures 12 and 13, it is clear that
PV plays a bigger role in the production of electric-
ity from the PV–biomass hybrid system architecture than
that of the wind in the case of the wind–biomass model
because the production and the fraction of production of
PV are 1496 kWh/year, 18%, respectively, whereas it is
1228 kWh/year and 12%, respectively, in the case of wind.
Thus, the electrical analysis reveals that the PV resource is
more consistent and has a fair share in the production of
electricity.
4.3. Emission analysis
The emission table (Table 6) drawn using HOMER
shows the production of carbon dioxide, carbon monox-
ide, unburned hydrocarbons, particulate matter, sulphur
dioxide, nitrogen oxides in kg/year manner. Taking
5. Final verdict and future recommendations
Implementing HOMER application PV–biomass and wind–
biomass system architecture were designed successfully.
The LED is found to have considerable lower consump-
tion and high lifespan. A comparison is done between the
two systems on the basis of economical and environmental
aspects from the HOMER-generated reports.
Finally, it was evident from the research work undergone
that the PV–biomass hybrid system architecture is more
reliable, economical and environmental friendly than the
wind–biomass hybrid system for a decentralised electrifica-
tion. Again the electrical analysis reveals the PV resource to
be a more consistent combination for this size of population.
But for a different size of population like 1000 persons; the
consumption of biomass will be more as the biomass will be
used in larger amounts than the PV in a PV–Biomass hybrid
system. Thus, the emission of pollutants will increase. Yet
again for a given demand, the PV–biomass hybrid system
will remain cheaper.
 8 S. Mishra et al.
Furthermore, larger population can be taken into consid-
eration and the relevant hybrid system configurations can be
analysed. The transmission and distribution losses in India
are the most. So, the renewable energy technologies (RET)
that has the promising results which can help to electrify the
remote places and hybrid power system is the key to this
issue. Hydro power is one of the major renewable sources of
energy in India; it can be combined with other sources like
PV, biomass and wind to establish more promising hybrid
system architectures.
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to acknowledge the continuous support,
inspiration from our beloved parents, Suman Sourav Rout, Dr.
S. M. Ali, and Pratyasha Tripathy. Also we extend the vote of
thanks to the School of Electrical Engineering, KIIT University
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for providing a learning environment for this piece of work.
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