Utilization of Livestock Waste Biomass in Off-Grid Energy Systems: A Roadmap for Decision Makers and Investors in the Renewable Energies Sector in Iran

• Published in: Journal of power technologies Vol. 105; no. 1; p. 30 -- 45
• Main Authors: Keshavarzi, Razieh, Jahangiri, Mehdi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Polish
• Published: Warsaw Warsaw University of Technology, Institute of Heat Engineering 01.01.2025
• Subjects: Agricultural runoff; Agricultural wastes; Animal wastes; Biomass; Biomass energy production; Climate; Configurations; Economics; Electric power demand; Electric power generation; Electricity; Employment; Environmental performance; Humid climates; Hybrid systems; Livestock; Peak load; Production costs; Renewable energy sources; Solar energy; Solar panels; Iran
• ISSN: 2083-4187; 2083-4195

Iran possesses strong animal biomass resources, which are readily accessible and can contribute to local energy production, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, create local jobs, and enhance economic sustainability. Given Iran's diverse climates and the availability of different renewable energy sources in each climate, a knowledge gap exists regarding the potential for renewable electricity generation based on biomass in each region. Therefore, this study evaluates the energy, economic, and environmental performance of a wind-solar-biomass hybrid system supported by batteries in eight different climate zones of Iran. Key questions addressed include: What is the optimal system configuration for each climate? What is the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for the optimal system in each climate? And which climate is the most suitable? These considerations highlight the necessity of this work. Simulations were conducted using HOMER V2.81 software. The results indicate that the Jask station, located in a very hot and humid climate, has the lowest electricity production cost at $0.615 per kWh. To meet a daily electricity demand of 1488 kWh with a peak load of 168 kW, 226,270 different configurations were analyzed. The system, consisting of 550 kW solar panels, a 500 kW biomass generator, a 150 kW converter, and 500 batteries, was selected as the economically optimal configuration.