Need to be clear, What the benefits are in exploring Renewable energy.
From Engr. Odusina Adewale Hiworks
To simply assume your green energy system will have economic value will be wrong.
However, the benefit of green energy is not only economical; the need to reduce carbon emissions is equally critical knowing that every green energy deployment contribute into the zero carbon emission campaign.
I must mention that any effort at all by anyone to use alternative energy solution with zero carbon emission must be lauded.
However, when the business model is such that economic gains is a critical factor, then, the approach is a different kettle of fish.
We have had cases, where by our review of expectations, We have had to advised client to forget any economic benefit as all they could get would be
CSR Equity as the benefit could only be a social promotional campaign credit for green energy deployment.
For a country like Nigeria, where public power is still rearly available, petrol and diesel generators are the reliable alternative.
Most companies and individuals run 2400 operational hours yearly and over 50% of this time on generator support.
The 50% implies 1200hours daytime and 1200hours nighttime.
This in naira value will be N360,000.00 yearly on 750W genset implying cost of running petrol. N1,250,000.00 for 10kva diesel gen. N3M for 30kva, N10M for 100Kva, N20M for 200kva, N35M for 300kva, N51M for 500kva. All cases for 2400 operational hours and at N250 per litre. (Kindly use current diesel rate in your neighborhood)
For economic benefit of renewable energy, the deployment must be benchmarked against the savings on diesel consumption.
The particular case I want to focus on is where the load profile hugely substantial and from 10kva minimum and require that gensets are deployed day and night.
To completely replace 10kva gender, one will require an investment in renewable worth N15M, with 50% of the investment fixed for 30years and the other 50% reoccurring lithium battery cost every 10years dependent on quality of maintenance and exposure to unfavourable environmental elements. Anything from 5years will make battery cheaper than diesel. A ten Years plan could see a savings of 5years in diesel cost. This is of course after the implementation cost, had been zeroed over 12-15years.
The minimum green energy capacity for economic benefit will be 25% of gensize. For grid tie solar system where there are no batteries, hence no reoccurring expenses, the savings on diesel from 5-8years will pay for the renewable energy system.
This article can not cover the various load profiles, their respective possible solutions, economic benefit, and payback time.
