Thesis Topic Ideas: Solar-Grid Hybrid System for Rural Electrification

1. Introduction & Problem Statement

Overview: Engineering design, simulation, and economic optimization of a solar PV-grid hybrid power system for reliable electricity supply in rural hill communities.

Background Context (Nepal): Rural grid extensions in Nepal experience frequent voltage fluctuations and load shedding. Hybridizing solar PV with weak rural grid connections ensures continuous community power.

2. Research Objectives

• ›Analyze load profile demand of a 100-household rural village in hill district
• ›Design solar PV array, battery energy storage system (BESS), and bi-directional inverter topology
• ›Simulate energy yield and grid interaction using HOMER Pro / MATLAB Simulink
• ›Conduct financial sensitivity analysis measuring Levelized Cost of Electricity (LCOE)
• ›Provide grid-interconnection power quality recommendations

3. Proposed Methodology

1. Estimate hourly electricity load profile based on household lighting, TV, and agricultural processing equipment
2. Collect solar irradiance data for target location from NASA SSE / PVGIS databases
3. Simulate system performance in HOMER Pro software optimizing PV capacity vs battery bank size
4. Model bi-directional power flow and voltage stability during grid outages using MATLAB Simulink
5. Calculate Net Present Value (NPV) and simple payback period over 20-year system lifecycle

$ Worked Example / Sample Scenario

Sample Scenario: Simulation of a 35 kW solar PV array with 120 kWh battery storage for a 100-household village in Solukhumbu proves LCOE of NPR 9.2/kWh, reducing diesel generator dependency by 88%.

4. Thesis Chapter-by-Chapter Outline

5. Recommended Tools & Technologies

To implement the practical, technical, or analytical portions of this thesis topic, the following software tools, libraries, or APIs are recommended:

6. Core References & Academic Sources

• [1]Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC Nepal) Renewable Energy Directives <!-- VERIFY: needs confirmation -->
• [2]Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA) Rural Electrification Guidelines <!-- VERIFY: needs confirmation -->

7. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

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