Techno-economic potential of multi-energy community microgrid: The perspective of Australia

This study aims to assess the techno-economic viability of a grid-connected microgrid for providing low-cost, reliable energy supply in regional parts of Australia. In this research, a regional community with solar and wind energy potential is examined as a case study. The study evaluates five different system configurations with and without energy storage based on the available resources. The results indicate that the most reliable and cost-effective system is the grid-connected microgrid with solar, wind, diesel generator, and battery. The energy cost for this system is calculated as $0.152/kWh, which is 7.11% less expensive than the base scenario that solely utilizes grid power. The results also demonstrate that the proposed system can achieve a reduction in operating costs by 7.37%. Additionally, this microgrid configuration may potentially save 174.647 metric tonnes of CO2 annually. Finally, sensitivity analysis is performed to identify the critical sensitive parameters. The results reveal that variations in solar radiation, wind speed, real interest rate, and battery storage lifetime have a significant impact on the design of microgrids. The study findings would help microgrid planners, analysts, and policymakers to identify the latest design constraints and formulate appropriate strategies for renewable-based community power systems.