Finding The Best Configuration of an Off-Grid PV-Wind-Fuel Cell System with Battery and Generator Backup: A Remote House in Iran

One of the most important indicators of sustainable rural development is energy supply. Therefore, the present work has been done with the aim of identifying the potential of wind, solar and fuel cell (FC) energy in the electricity supply of Tamin village located in Sistan and Baluchistan province by HOMER 2.81 software. Different scenarios were investigated and diesel generators (DGs) and batteries were used as systems backup. The present work is the first renewable hybrid project based on a FC for a remote area in one of Iran's climates, and accurate and up-to-date technical, economic, energy and environmental analyzes have made the results very important. The results of the investigations showed that the DG-Wind turbine system is the cheapest system with the price of each kWh of electricity produced equal to $0.735. The FC-based system also significantly reduces production pollutants at a cost of $1.004 per kWh of electricity produced and uses 53% more renewable energy than the superior economic scenario. The production of hydrogen for use in a FC during the year is equal to 50.7 kg, and compared to the traditional system (DG only), the FC-based system has a payback time of 3.43 years.