A solar–diesel–battery hybrid energy system: Optimal design and techno-enviro-economic feasibility analysis

The ever-decreasing availability of fossil fuels and their adverse environmental impacts have become major global concerns, as most countries, including Algeria, rely heavily on fossil fuels for energy production. Moreover, fluctuations in fossil fuel prices significantly influence the economic growth of these countries. Given the abundance of renewable energy sources, their integration into electricity generation has become increasingly important. In this context, this study aims to supply the electricity demand of a travelers' service station located in the Ouargla region of Algeria by proposing an optimal design and conducting a techno-enviro-economic feasibility analysis of an off-grid photovoltaic (PV)–diesel–battery hybrid energy system (HES). All system configurations were simulated using the hybrid optimization model for electric renewables software. Furthermore, a comparative analysis was performed among the resulting configurations to identify the most suitable system from economic, technical, and environmental perspectives. The optimal configuration was selected based on the total net present cost (TNPC), cost of energy (COE), and pollutant gas emissions (PGEs). The results indicate that the PV–diesel–battery HES is the most cost-effective configuration, with a TNPC of $777 852.77 and a COE of $0.130/kWh. In addition, this configuration is environmentally friendly, achieving a renewable fraction of 35.5% while producing only 82 090.29 kg/yr of total PGE.