Implementación de un sistema híbrido solar fotovoltaico - diésel en la municipalidad de Puerto Lempira, Gracias a Dios, Honduras

Abstract

The Honduran rural population has an energy coverage of less than 65% (ENEE, 2017). The Department of Gracias a Dios has an energy coverage of 48.79% (ENEE, 2017), ranked as the Department with the lowest electrification index. Currently, Puerto Lempira, Department of Gracias a Dios, has two electric power generation systems (private and municipal). Municipal Electricity Company S.A. (ELEESA) has a system based on a diesel generator set of 500kW, 538 users, and an average generation of four hours per day with an energy sale price of 14 L/ kWh (0.58 $ / kWh). The main objective of this research was to analyze the technical and economic feasibility on the application of a solar hybrid photovoltaic-diesel generation system in the Municipality of Puerto Lempira for ELEESA. This investigation was carried out based on a qualitative and quantitative approach. The simulation software HOMER PRO was used to determine the optimal configuration of the hybrid system which should cover demand for the next twenty years. Simulations indicate that implementing the hybrid system, the costs of fuel consumption are reduced, and the cost of energy production is reduced compared to the 100% diesel system. The cost of energy production for the hybrid system is 0.369 $ / kWh. An energy sale price of 0.55 $ / kWh was suggested.