Optimum Site Selection of Hybrid Solar Photovoltaic (PV) - Hydro Power Plants in off Grid Locations in Cameroon using the Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA)

ABSTRACT

The deployment of renewable power systems is influenced by the geographical, economic, social, and environmental aspects of the location. These factors play a leading role in the project’s sustainability and compel developers to carefully analyze them before the decision to install. In Cameroon, there are reported cases of off-grid systems that were deployed arbitrarily such that they could not generate power within the systems’ economic life. This necessitates the development of a viable framework of criteria on the sites earmarked for the implementation of these systems. Six potential off-grid sites for the implementation of hybrid solar PV – hydro were examined with the aim of determining the suitable location of the hybrid solar – hydro system in Cameroon. The sites were selected from the North West and South West Regions of Cameroon and were assessed in this paper. In this framework, the computation of the weighted values of the criteria was done through brainstorming with energy experts in Cameroon. The hybrid AHP-TOPSIS method was used in the site selection analysis. The results of this study showed that accessibility of site, resource availability (solar and mini-hydro resources), acute power need, good topography, and distance from the nearest grid-connected locality were the most effective factors influencing the placement of a hybrid solar PV – hydropower system in an off grid location. Munkep was the most suitable site for the installation of the hybrid solar – hydropower system with a performance score of 0.63, hence, it was ranked the first in the analysis. In descending order, Munkep, Zhoa, Esaghem, Kingomen, and Wone were ranked with values of index of proximity to the ideal solution (Rp) of 0.638, 0.491, 0.487, 0.45, and 0.39 respectively.

KEYWORDS:

• Sustainability
• Resource availability
• AHP- TOPSIS
• Weighted values
• Economic life

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the European Union through the Intra-Africa Mobility Program (Project no: 614584-PANAF-1-2019-1-CM-MOBAF) called the Mobility of African Scholars for Transformative Engineering Training (MASTET) Project and they are therefore acknowledged.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Chu Donatus Iweh

Chu Donatus Iweh received his B.Eng and M.Eng degrees in Electrical Power Systems Engineering from the University of Buea, Cameroon and is currently on a Research Mobility at the University of Abomey-Calavi, The Republic of Benin through the MASTET (Mobility of African Scholars for Transformative Engineering Training) project, a European Union Intra-Africa Academic Mobility Scheme. His research interest are Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems, Power System Stability, Power System Operation and Planmimg, Electric Machines, Power Quality, Embedded Systems and Control of Distributed Energy Systems.

Guy Clarence Semassou

Guy Clarence Semassou obtained his PhD degree in Renewable Energy from the University of Bordeaux I, France and he is currently the Head of Department of Energy and Applied Mechanics at the University of Abomey-Calavi, The Republic of Benin. He is currently an Associate Professor, Senior Lecturer, coordinator of the Masters programme in Renewable Energy. His research interest is Solar Thermal Applications, Fluid Mechanics and he has published extensively in these areas. He has previously occupied several positions within the University and at national level such as Director General of the National Agency for the Development of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ANADER), Head of the Agricultural Mechanization Option at the Department of Energy and Applied Mechanics, Head of Department of Basic Sciences and Head of the Employment Opportunity Observation and Industry Partnership Division.

Roger Houèchénè Ahouansou

Roger Houèchénè Ahouansou was born in Porto-Novo, (Benin Republic) in 1964. He is currently Associate-Professor; lecturer at the University of Abomey-Calavi. He is involved in research in mechanics, energy and agricultural equipment. The accessibility of energy and the reduction of its production cost with strict respect for the environment are one of his research field.