Evaluation of Off-grid Hybrid Renewable Systems in the Four Climate Regions of Iran

Renewable systems influence the process of supplying domestic electricity needs. Since uncontrolled use of fossil fuels is accompanied by global warming and environmental hazards, in addition to the danger of their depletion, and because most of the energy derived from these fuels is utilized in buildings, it will be useful to replace the current energy generation system by utilizing renewable energy sources. Although other researchers have dealt with issues such as solar energy (active and passive), wind turbines, and other methods for supplying domestic energy needs, studies on hybrid systems that include biomass have attracted significantly less interest. Therefore, considering the historical background and the potential of biomass in Iran, this article assesses the potential of using a hybrid solar cell/wind turbine/biomass system for supplying electricity needs of a residential building in each of the four Iranian climates. The question of which system based on renewable energies would be the most cost effective in each Iranian climate has not yet been studied. Results indicate that, based on cost-effectiveness, the ideal options are utilization of solar cells in the cold, warm and dry, and warm and humid climates, and use of systems based on biomass in the moderate and humid climates.