Economic benefits of integration of supplementary biopower and energy storage systems in a solar-wind hybrid system

This study analyzed the optimal electricity cost of a 100% renewable energy source (RES) based system. Especially energy storage system (EES) and supplementary biopower system as well as photovoltaic (PV) and wind power component were included in the proposed RES-based system to overcome the intermittence of RESs and to efficiently balance energy supply and demand. To comparatively analyze the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) of different RES-based systems, six scenarios were developed according to the involved RESs: PV, wind, PV/wind, PV/ biopower, wind/biopower, and PV/wind/biopower systems. We then applied the proposed systems to build a 100% RES-based system in Jeju Island, Korea. As a result, the single component based system, PV and wind power system of 0.18 and 0.28 $/kWh, respectively, cannot compete with the economics of existing electricity grid. However, the optimal LCOE of the hybrid system where PV and wind power are used as main supply options and biopower as supplementary option was identified to be 0.08 $/kWh, which can compete with the economics of an existing electricity grid.