This page has only limited features, please log in for full access.

Unclaimed
Ramchandra Bhandari
Institute for Technology and Resources Management in the Tropics and Subtropics, TH Köln (University of Applied Sciences), Betzdorfer Strasse 2, 50679 Cologne, Germany

Honors and Awards

The user has no records in this section


Career Timeline

The user has no records in this section.


Short Biography

The user biography is not available.
Following
Followers
Co Authors
The list of users this user is following is empty.
Following: 0 users

Feed

Journal article
Published: 08 June 2021 in Renewable Energy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Political and scientific discussions on changing German energy supply mix and challenges of such energy transition are already well established. At the supply level, energy storage seems to be the biggest challenge ahead for such transition. Hydrogen could be one of the solutions for future energy transition if it is produced using renewable energy resources. In order to analyze the future role of hydrogen, its economic performance analysis is inevitable. This has been done in this research for a case study site in Cologne. The potential of hydrogen production with the use of solar electricity powered electrolyzers (alkaline and proton exchange membrane (PEM)) has been analyzed. Both grid connected and off grid modes of solar hydrogen production are considered. Economic performance results are presented for six scenarios. Hydrogen produced with the grid connected solar photovoltaics system coupled with alkaline electrolyzers was found the cheapest, with the levelized cost of hydrogen (LCOH) at 6.23 €/kg. These costs are comparable with the current hydrogen price at commercial refueling station in Cologne. On the other hand, the LCOH of off grid systems with both alkaline and PEM electrolyzers is expensive as expected, the most expensive LCOH among six scenarios reached to 57.61 €/kg.

ACS Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Ronak Rakesh Shah. Hydrogen as energy carrier: Techno-economic assessment of decentralized hydrogen production in Germany. Renewable Energy 2021, 177, 915 -931.

AMA Style

Ramchandra Bhandari, Ronak Rakesh Shah. Hydrogen as energy carrier: Techno-economic assessment of decentralized hydrogen production in Germany. Renewable Energy. 2021; 177 ():915-931.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Ronak Rakesh Shah. 2021. "Hydrogen as energy carrier: Techno-economic assessment of decentralized hydrogen production in Germany." Renewable Energy 177, no. : 915-931.

Journal article
Published: 07 June 2021 in Energies
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Currently, difficulties such as the depletion of fossil fuel resources and the associated environmental pollution have driven the rise of other energy systems based on green energy sources. In this research, modeling and a viability study of grid-connected and islanded photovoltaic (PV) power systems for supplying the residential load in Mekelle City, Ethiopia, were carried out considering the country’s emerging utility tariff plan for 2021 and beyond. The technical viability of the proposed supply option was analyzed using PVGIS, PVWatts and HOMER Pro tool, while the economic and environmental optimization aspects were carried out using HOMER Pro. Sensitivity analyses and output comparisons among the three renewable energy simulation tools are presented. The results showed that under the consideration of an incremental electricity tariff plan (up to 2021), the analyzed cost of energy of the grid/PV system is around 12% lower than the utility grid tariff. Moreover, we also found that by taking the continuous global solar PV cost reduction into account, the cost of energy of the modeled islanded operation of solar PV power units totally broke the grid tariff in Ethiopia after 2029 based on the tariff for 2021 and well before with the expected escalation of the grid tariff on an annual basis. The technical performance of the system realized through PVGIS and PVWatts was almost comparable to the HOMER Pro outputs. Thus, this investigation will offer a clear direction to the concerned target groups and policy developers in the evolution of PV power supply options throughout the technically viable locations in the country.

ACS Style

Tefera Mekonnen; Ramchandra Bhandari; Venkata Ramayya. Modeling, Analysis and Optimization of Grid-Integrated and Islanded Solar PV Systems for the Ethiopian Residential Sector: Considering an Emerging Utility Tariff Plan for 2021 and Beyond. Energies 2021, 14, 3360 .

AMA Style

Tefera Mekonnen, Ramchandra Bhandari, Venkata Ramayya. Modeling, Analysis and Optimization of Grid-Integrated and Islanded Solar PV Systems for the Ethiopian Residential Sector: Considering an Emerging Utility Tariff Plan for 2021 and Beyond. Energies. 2021; 14 (11):3360.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tefera Mekonnen; Ramchandra Bhandari; Venkata Ramayya. 2021. "Modeling, Analysis and Optimization of Grid-Integrated and Islanded Solar PV Systems for the Ethiopian Residential Sector: Considering an Emerging Utility Tariff Plan for 2021 and Beyond." Energies 14, no. 11: 3360.

Journal article
Published: 06 June 2021 in Energies
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Remote rural populations do not often have the luxury of viable multisource electricity generation systems. Considering fossil fuels for remote populated areas is not often a viable option due to the fuel transportation costs and the population’s socioeconomic status. Extending the grid is often economically prohibitive. This paper proposes possible ways in which Mali could increase the rate of population with access to electricity by 2050 using Low Emission Analysis Platform (LEAP) and geographical information tools. The current energy situation is assessed, and multiple demand and supply scenarios are created to find the most viable option in environmental and economic dimensions. A minimum of 50% reduction of biomass consumption in the residential sector and a maximum of 71% was achieved through the combination of grid extension and decentralized solar PV. Solar PV becomes the preferable option when enough time for the effects of electricity on income is given. When these effects are not present, solar PV is still a better option, as the amount of biomass replaced with electricity is reduced.

ACS Style

Vittorio Sessa; Ramchandra Bhandari; Abdramane Ba. Rural Electrification Pathways: An Implementation of LEAP and GIS Tools in Mali. Energies 2021, 14, 3338 .

AMA Style

Vittorio Sessa, Ramchandra Bhandari, Abdramane Ba. Rural Electrification Pathways: An Implementation of LEAP and GIS Tools in Mali. Energies. 2021; 14 (11):3338.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vittorio Sessa; Ramchandra Bhandari; Abdramane Ba. 2021. "Rural Electrification Pathways: An Implementation of LEAP and GIS Tools in Mali." Energies 14, no. 11: 3338.

Journal article
Published: 29 May 2021 in Waste Management
Reads 0
Downloads 0

By means of source-segregation, organic waste streams are deterred from mass-burning and more sustainable treatment paths may be enabled. This study analyzed the environmental and economic performance of custom treatment paths for organic waste streams in Germany towards energy generation. The reference quantity was the production and export of 1 kWh of exergy, while treating a certain amount of waste. The methodologies of environmental life cycle assessment (eLCA) and levelized costs of exergy (LCOE) were applied. The considered treatment systems were (i) anaerobic digestion, (ii) hydrothermal carbonization (HTC) and (iii) incineration. The technologies were considered individually or in a cascade. The analyzed waste streams were the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW), food waste and waste wood. For food waste and OFMSW, anaerobic digestion followed by the spreading of the digestate was characterized by overall beneficial environmental and economic properties. As the preferable treatment system was the same for both substrates, a separate collection of food waste was not considered worthwhile. For waste wood, the most environmentally friendly and economic option was direct incineration - either in a waste incinerator or in a lignite power plant. The implementation of an HTC process appeared viable for the treatment of OFMSW and food waste, both from an environmental and economic point of view. However, the energy intensive system must be outlined towards an environmentally friendly heat source. In this context, a cascading of anaerobic digestion with the HTC-process proofed to be an acceptable alternative.

ACS Style

Felix Mayer; Ramchandra Bhandari; Stefan A. Gäth. Life cycle assessment on the treatment of organic waste streams by anaerobic digestion, hydrothermal carbonization and incineration. Waste Management 2021, 130, 93 -106.

AMA Style

Felix Mayer, Ramchandra Bhandari, Stefan A. Gäth. Life cycle assessment on the treatment of organic waste streams by anaerobic digestion, hydrothermal carbonization and incineration. Waste Management. 2021; 130 ():93-106.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Felix Mayer; Ramchandra Bhandari; Stefan A. Gäth. 2021. "Life cycle assessment on the treatment of organic waste streams by anaerobic digestion, hydrothermal carbonization and incineration." Waste Management 130, no. : 93-106.

Journal article
Published: 04 January 2021 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

The majority of Niger’s population faces a widespread lack of access to electricity. Although the country lies in the Sahara belt, exploitation of solar energy is so far minimal. Due to ongoing fossil fuel exploration in the country, this fuel might dominate the future electricity supply. Today, Niger imports the most of its electricity from Nigeria. There is a need to expand electricity generation and supply infrastructures in Niger. When doing so, it is important to choose a proper set of electricity generation resource/technology that fulfils sustainability criteria. Thus, the objective of this work is to analyze a methodology in order to assess different energy technologies for Niger. A multi-criteria decision approach was selected to assess the most accessible energy system for the country. For this purpose, indicators were developed and weighted for ranking electricity generation options. Altogether 40 indicators are selected under six dimensions (availability, risk, technology, economics, environment and social) to assess eight different alternatives, considering the aggregated results and corresponding scores under each dimension. A merit list of technology and resources for electricity generation presented in this work could support the stakeholders in their decision-making for further projects implementation in the country.

ACS Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Benjamin Arce; Vittorio Sessa; Rabani Adamou. Sustainability Assessment of Electricity Generation in Niger Using a Weighted Multi-criteria Decision Approach. Sustainability 2021, 13, 385 .

AMA Style

Ramchandra Bhandari, Benjamin Arce, Vittorio Sessa, Rabani Adamou. Sustainability Assessment of Electricity Generation in Niger Using a Weighted Multi-criteria Decision Approach. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (1):385.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Benjamin Arce; Vittorio Sessa; Rabani Adamou. 2021. "Sustainability Assessment of Electricity Generation in Niger Using a Weighted Multi-criteria Decision Approach." Sustainability 13, no. 1: 385.

Journal article
Published: 03 August 2020 in Journal of Cleaner Production
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This study analyzes the global warming potential (GWP) of wind power plants within an LCA framework. Therefore, secondary data from studies on wind turbines, which were published in the past 20 years were assessed. The data was categorized into three configurations, i.e. onshore single turbines, onshore wind farms and offshore wind farms. Within a multivariate analysis, featuring a linear regression model approach, the datasets retrieved from the literature were evaluated. The effect variable was the specific GWP, normalized to the function unit gCO2-equ/kWh electricity. Cause variables were (i) the capacity factor, (ii) the rated power and (iii) the annual energy yield (AEY), (iv) the hub height and (v) the rotor diameter. In a secondary part this study showed the quantity of uncertainty, which is present in LCA studies on wind turbines by evaluating generic wind turbine configurations, which were present in the ecoinvent database. Conclusively, a sensitivity analysis on the influence of the capacity factor on the GWP was conducted. For onshore single turbines and wind farms a negative correlation was observed between the turbine size and the GWP. A highly significant negative correlation was found between the AEY and the GWP. However, the AEY needed to be log-transformed first. Other cause variables were either collinear to the AEY or showed a weak correlation. For offshore wind turbines similar results could not be presented and none of the cause variable could explain the effect variable. The sample size was however low, as only few studies were conducted for offshore plants. The uncertainty analysis showed that generally low uncertainties are present during the modelling phase of the LCA of wind turbines, which suggests that the processes are well understood and documented. The sensitivity analysis on the capacity factor resulted in a non-linear, hyperbolic progression with respect to the GWP.

ACS Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Bhunesh Kumar; Felix Mayer. Life cycle greenhouse gas emission from wind farms in reference to turbine sizes and capacity factors. Journal of Cleaner Production 2020, 277, 123385 .

AMA Style

Ramchandra Bhandari, Bhunesh Kumar, Felix Mayer. Life cycle greenhouse gas emission from wind farms in reference to turbine sizes and capacity factors. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2020; 277 ():123385.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Bhunesh Kumar; Felix Mayer. 2020. "Life cycle greenhouse gas emission from wind farms in reference to turbine sizes and capacity factors." Journal of Cleaner Production 277, no. : 123385.

Journal article
Published: 09 July 2020 in Renewable Energy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

About 84% of the population in Niger live in rural areas and only about 8% of them have access to electricity. For rural population, renewable energy use is an expensive option. This paper seeks to answer the question: Can collaborative consumption and community ownership increase the willingness to pay for the electricity generated through solar photovoltaics (PV) systems among the villagers of a rural area in Niger? Surveys were conducted in a rural village in Niger to assess the WTP for electricity services. These results were compared to the costs of off-grid electrification systems considering collaborative consumption and community ownership approaches. This was done by assessing the willingness to pay through household surveys and comparing the results to different electrification systems under the mentioned concepts. A reduction of about 80% monthly expenses could be achieved by using both collaborative consumption and community ownership. This translates to a possible increase in the WTP from 17% to 81% of the villagers for solar PV based electrification systems. Collaborative consumption, provided its acceptance and equipped with the proper policies and regulations, can thus contribute to a wider access to electricity in the rural areas of the country.

ACS Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Vittorio Sessa; Rabani Adamou. Rural electrification in Africa – A willingness to pay assessment in Niger. Renewable Energy 2020, 161, 20 -29.

AMA Style

Ramchandra Bhandari, Vittorio Sessa, Rabani Adamou. Rural electrification in Africa – A willingness to pay assessment in Niger. Renewable Energy. 2020; 161 ():20-29.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Vittorio Sessa; Rabani Adamou. 2020. "Rural electrification in Africa – A willingness to pay assessment in Niger." Renewable Energy 161, no. : 20-29.

Journal article
Published: 06 March 2020 in Science of The Total Environment
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In the realm of the German scope, four different waste treatment options for the Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste (OFMSW) were evaluated against the environmental and economic background: (i) anaerobic digestion followed by composting, (ii) incineration of OFMSW, (iii) incineration of separately pre-dried OFMSW and (iv) a cascaded treatment system, which couples anaerobic digestion with incineration (i.e. incineration of digestate). Environmental life cycle assessment (eLCA) and a calculation of the levelized costs of exergy (LCOE) were performed to map the sustainability aspects of the different product systems. Within a hybrid approach, consisting of literature data evaluation, theoretical modelling, the conduct of lab-scaled experiments and a substrate analysis, a comprehensive assessment was compiled. Within the eLCA, the main drivers of the total environmental impact were the categories global warming potential (GWP) and the fossil depletion potential (FDP). (i) Anaerobic digestion followed by composting and (ii) incineration were hereby characterized by the fewest environmental impacts. With regards to the base case, the GWP was calculated to ~500 g CO2-Eq/kWh exergy for these options. The FDP was <0.05 kg oil-Eq/kWh exergy for anaerobic digestion and ~0.075 kg oil-Eq/kWh exergy for incineration. The other examined treatment options were characterized by a significantly higher GWP and FDP. The economic assessment showed median LCOE of 27 ct/kWh exergy for anaerobic digestion followed by composting and thus outcompeted incineration (median: 55 ct/kWh Exergy). Separate pre-drying prior to incineration increased the economic burdens marginally. Anaerobic digestion followed by incineration showed the highest economic expenses (89 ct/kWh exergy). In conclusion, anaerobic digestion followed by composting was marked by an overall preferential environmental and economic constellation and source segregation is thereof justified and should further be maintained.

ACS Style

Felix Mayer; Ramchandra Bhandari; Stefan A. Gäth; Himanshu Himanshu; Niklas Stobernack. Economic and environmental life cycle assessment of organic waste treatment by means of incineration and biogasification. Is source segregation of biowaste justified in Germany? Science of The Total Environment 2020, 721, 137731 .

AMA Style

Felix Mayer, Ramchandra Bhandari, Stefan A. Gäth, Himanshu Himanshu, Niklas Stobernack. Economic and environmental life cycle assessment of organic waste treatment by means of incineration and biogasification. Is source segregation of biowaste justified in Germany? Science of The Total Environment. 2020; 721 ():137731.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Felix Mayer; Ramchandra Bhandari; Stefan A. Gäth; Himanshu Himanshu; Niklas Stobernack. 2020. "Economic and environmental life cycle assessment of organic waste treatment by means of incineration and biogasification. Is source segregation of biowaste justified in Germany?" Science of The Total Environment 721, no. : 137731.

Journal article
Published: 09 November 2019 in Sustainable Cities and Society
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In most developing countries, the electricity supply system is highly unreliable. Ethiopia is one of the least developed country in the world, and the existing distribution system of the country has encountered frequent power interruptions. During this interruption, diesel generator supplied the critical load of most industries in the country. This paper examines the feasibility of integrating PV/wind power systems into existing unreliable grid/diesel generator systems for supplying the critical loads of industrial parks in three different regions of Ethiopia. The study focused on how to provide a reliable supply with cost-effective and environment-friendly resources. Based on load variation, grid interruption, and meteorological data of the study areas, modeling and techno-economic analysis of grid-connected PV/wind/diesel systems were carried out using HOMER Pro software by exploring four different scenarios involving the consideration of unscheduled outages. Results showed that grid//diesel/PV/battery systems are technically, economically, and environmentally feasible for all three climate regions with the cost of energy at 0.044, 0.049, and 0.048 $/kWh, respectively. Also found that excess electricity, cost of energy, and the net present cost is slightly increased with PV penetration, whereas the CO2 emissions for these locations decreased by 45%, 44%, and 42% compared to the existing systems.

ACS Style

Tefera Mekonnen Azerefegn; Ramchandra Bhandari; A. Venkata Ramayya. Techno-economic analysis of grid-integrated PV/wind systems for electricity reliability enhancement in Ethiopian industrial park. Sustainable Cities and Society 2019, 53, 101915 .

AMA Style

Tefera Mekonnen Azerefegn, Ramchandra Bhandari, A. Venkata Ramayya. Techno-economic analysis of grid-integrated PV/wind systems for electricity reliability enhancement in Ethiopian industrial park. Sustainable Cities and Society. 2019; 53 ():101915.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Tefera Mekonnen Azerefegn; Ramchandra Bhandari; A. Venkata Ramayya. 2019. "Techno-economic analysis of grid-integrated PV/wind systems for electricity reliability enhancement in Ethiopian industrial park." Sustainable Cities and Society 53, no. : 101915.

Journal article
Published: 23 October 2019 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Life cycle assessment is a crucial tool in evaluating systems performances for sustainability and decision-making. This paper provided environmental impact of integrating renewable energy systems to the utility-grid based on a baseline optimized energy production data from “HOMER” for renewable systems modelling of a site in northern Nigeria. The ultimate goal was to ascertain the best hybrid option(s) in sustaining the environment. Different assumptions and scenarios were modelled and simulated using Ganzleitlichen Bilanz (GaBi). Uncertainty analysis was ensured to the impact data based on pedigree-matrix and Excel-program, as well as overall policy relevance. The results of the impact categories revealed first scenario (i.e., conventional path-based) with the highest impacts on global warming potential (GWP), acidification potential (AP), human toxicity potential (HTP), and abiotic depletion potential (ADPfossils). The lowest impacts arise in the renewable-based scenarios for all the considered categories except the Ozone-layer depletion potential Category where the highest contribution falls in the third scenario (i.e., photovoltaic (PV)/biomass-biogas system) although all values being infinitesimal. In quantitative terms, the reduction in the GWP from the highest being the first scenario to the lowest being the fourth scenario (i.e., wind/biomass-biogas system) was 96.5%. Hence, with the outstanding contributions of the hybrid renewable systems, adopting them especially the lowest impact scenarios with expansions is relevant for environmental sustainability.

ACS Style

Ismail Abubakar Jumare; Ramchandra Bhandari; Abdellatif Zerga. Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Grid-Integrated Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems in Northern Nigeria. Sustainability 2019, 11, 5889 .

AMA Style

Ismail Abubakar Jumare, Ramchandra Bhandari, Abdellatif Zerga. Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Grid-Integrated Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems in Northern Nigeria. Sustainability. 2019; 11 (21):5889.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ismail Abubakar Jumare; Ramchandra Bhandari; Abdellatif Zerga. 2019. "Environmental Life Cycle Assessment of Grid-Integrated Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems in Northern Nigeria." Sustainability 11, no. 21: 5889.

Data article
Published: 12 September 2019 in Data in Brief
Reads 0
Downloads 0

This data article is related to the research article "O.D.T. Odou, R. Bhandari, R. Adamou, Hybrid off-grid renewable power system for sustainable rural electrification in Benin, Renew. Energy. 145 (2020) 1266-1279. doi:10.1016/j.renene.2019.06.032.''. The data presented are grouped into four (04) groups as follows: Load, Ressources, Components costs and specification and Optimization and Simulation data. The data are mainly acquired from onsite survey for the load demand, National Direction of Water (DGeau) for rivers streamflow, National Direction of Meteorology (DNM) for meteorological data, expert knowledge and HOMER software model output data. An empirical method is used to estimate the river streamflow at Fouay from the known gauged streamflow data. The purpose of this article is to make available reliable open access data to allow replicability and enhance research in similar studies while giving first-hand information to users.

ACS Style

Oluwarotimi Delano Thierry Odou; Ramchandra Bhandari; Rabani Adamou. Techno-economic data for decentralised energy system sizing for rural areas in Benin. A case study of the village of Fouay. Data in Brief 2019, 26, 104501 .

AMA Style

Oluwarotimi Delano Thierry Odou, Ramchandra Bhandari, Rabani Adamou. Techno-economic data for decentralised energy system sizing for rural areas in Benin. A case study of the village of Fouay. Data in Brief. 2019; 26 ():104501.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Oluwarotimi Delano Thierry Odou; Ramchandra Bhandari; Rabani Adamou. 2019. "Techno-economic data for decentralised energy system sizing for rural areas in Benin. A case study of the village of Fouay." Data in Brief 26, no. : 104501.

Journal article
Published: 29 July 2019 in Energy, Sustainability and Society
Reads 0
Downloads 0
ACS Style

Fitsum Bekele Tilahun; Ramchandara Bhandari; Mengesha Mamo. Supply optimization based on society’s cost of electricity and a calibrated demand model for future renewable energy transition in Niger. Energy, Sustainability and Society 2019, 9, 1 .

AMA Style

Fitsum Bekele Tilahun, Ramchandara Bhandari, Mengesha Mamo. Supply optimization based on society’s cost of electricity and a calibrated demand model for future renewable energy transition in Niger. Energy, Sustainability and Society. 2019; 9 (1):1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fitsum Bekele Tilahun; Ramchandara Bhandari; Mengesha Mamo. 2019. "Supply optimization based on society’s cost of electricity and a calibrated demand model for future renewable energy transition in Niger." Energy, Sustainability and Society 9, no. 1: 1.

Journal article
Published: 13 June 2019 in Renewable Energy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Providing power to rural communities, which are far from the grid and suffer from lack of energy access in Africa, especially in Benin, in a sustainable manner requires the adoption of appropriate technology. This paper aims at analysing the techno-economic feasibility of hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) for sustainable rural electrification in Benin, using a case study of Fouay village. HOMER software is used to perform optimization, simulation and sensitivity analysis. The analysis showed that hybrid solar photovoltaics (PV)/diesel generator (DG)/battery (of 150 kW/62.5 kVA/637 kWh) is the least cost optimal system. This system ensures a reliable power supply, reduces battery requirements by 70% compared to PV/battery system and achieves 97% CO2 emissions reduction compared to a conventional DG. Moreover, the study demonstrated that the most economical HRES depends strongly on the potential energy sources available at a location and power plant's remoteness from the beneficiary. In summary, as solar radiation is an abundant resource across the country, this hybrid PV/DG/battery system can be a suitable model to power remote areas in Benin, and we recommend it for future electrification projects in the country in place of the current widely deployed PV/battery system.

ACS Style

Oluwarotimi Delano Thierry Odou; Ramchandra Bhandari; Rabani Adamou. Hybrid off-grid renewable power system for sustainable rural electrification in Benin. Renewable Energy 2019, 145, 1266 -1279.

AMA Style

Oluwarotimi Delano Thierry Odou, Ramchandra Bhandari, Rabani Adamou. Hybrid off-grid renewable power system for sustainable rural electrification in Benin. Renewable Energy. 2019; 145 ():1266-1279.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Oluwarotimi Delano Thierry Odou; Ramchandra Bhandari; Rabani Adamou. 2019. "Hybrid off-grid renewable power system for sustainable rural electrification in Benin." Renewable Energy 145, no. : 1266-1279.

Journal article
Published: 24 April 2019 in Energy
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Process level integration of solar energy could give an economically feasible solution if the industrial process allows its practical integration. The solar-augmented industrial process behaves as a complex system influenced by uncertainty of solar radiation, variability of demand temperature and process time schedule as well as possibility of thermal stratification in the storage. Addressing these issues to reach the most economical solution has two dimensions to it. First, the solar thermal system needs to be optimally designed. This requires the development of a performance criterion that will deliver maximum solar energy to the industrial process, avoid large variations of energy in the storage, and meet investment constraints. Second, the identified optimal system should be dynamically controlled to enable uniform heat distribution and efficient auxiliary heat utilization. This paper presents a holistic design optimization and control approach for a solar-augmented industrial process to facilitate decision support. The proposed solution is designed and optimized for a dyeing industrial process case study that resulted in a 5.7 year payback period, 56.3% solar fraction, and 252.2 tons equivalent carbon emission reduction . Furthermore by implementing dynamic control, about 12.4% increase in solar gain that led to a 5.6% reduction in payback period is identified.

ACS Style

Fitsum Bekele Tilahun; Ramchandra Bhandari; Mengesha Mamo; Ramchandara Bhandari. Design optimization and control approach for a solar-augmented industrial heating. Energy 2019, 179, 186 -198.

AMA Style

Fitsum Bekele Tilahun, Ramchandra Bhandari, Mengesha Mamo, Ramchandara Bhandari. Design optimization and control approach for a solar-augmented industrial heating. Energy. 2019; 179 ():186-198.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Fitsum Bekele Tilahun; Ramchandra Bhandari; Mengesha Mamo; Ramchandara Bhandari. 2019. "Design optimization and control approach for a solar-augmented industrial heating." Energy 179, no. : 186-198.

Review
Published: 01 April 2019 in Science of The Total Environment
Reads 0
Downloads 0

In this study 315 peer-reviewed studies on environmental life cycle assessment (LCA) of waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies were critically analysed. The technologies considered were anaerobic digestion, hydrothermal carbonization, pyrolysis, gasification and incineration. It was found that overall increasingly more studies are concerned with LCA on waste-treatment systems. Although incineration and anaerobic digestion were primarily assessed, especially in recent years, a growing number of LCA-studies investigated advanced thermal treatment options. The geographical scope within the studies under review focused mainly on European (195 studies) and Asian (68 studies) regions. In regards to their quality, a majority of the analysed studies were marked by several shortcomings and showed poor compliance with the ISO 14040 and ISO 14044. 55 studies did not present a functional unit and >45% of all reviewed studies did not present a life cycle inventory. More than 50% of the reviewed studies omitted a sensitivity analysis and a comprehensive assessment of all impact categories was not present in most studies. By selecting studies that analysed two or more different WtE treatment options, the global warming potential and the acidification potential of the considered five different technologies were compared. By contrasting advanced treatment options against incineration, substantial environmental benefits of advanced treatment options could not be observed. However, only 34 studies fulfilled the criteria to be taken into account for this comparison. The main finding within this scope, was that anaerobic digestion and gasification seemed to outcompete incineration in the conversion process of waste. Cascaded waste treatment, i.e. combining several treatment technologies, was only present in few studies. Environmental benefits could be assigned to these treatment paths in most cases. Lastly, techno-economic aspects are highlighted and appropriate policies are deducted from the obtained results.

ACS Style

Felix Mayer; Ramchandra Bhandari; Stefan Gäth. Critical review on life cycle assessment of conventional and innovative waste-to-energy technologies. Science of The Total Environment 2019, 672, 708 -721.

AMA Style

Felix Mayer, Ramchandra Bhandari, Stefan Gäth. Critical review on life cycle assessment of conventional and innovative waste-to-energy technologies. Science of The Total Environment. 2019; 672 ():708-721.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Felix Mayer; Ramchandra Bhandari; Stefan Gäth. 2019. "Critical review on life cycle assessment of conventional and innovative waste-to-energy technologies." Science of The Total Environment 672, no. : 708-721.

Journal article
Published: 10 August 2018 in Sustainability
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Cooking energy has an important role in energy demand of Nepal. Over the last decade, import of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) has increased by 3.3 times as an alternate cooking fuel to kerosene and firewood. The growing subsidy burden to endorse modern fuel switching from traditional energy sources and high import of LPG are challenges for sustainability and energy security. This paper analyzes the future residential cooking energy demand and its environmental and economic impacts from 2015 to 2035 using a Long-range Energy Alternative Planning System (LEAP) tool. In 2035, the LPG demand for cooking is projected to be 26.5 million GJ, 16.3 million GJ, 45.2 million GJ and 58.2 million GJ for business as usual (BAU), low growth rate (LGR), medium growth rate (MGR) and high growth rate (HGR) scenarios, respectively. To substitute LPG with electricity in the cooking sector by 2035, an additional 1207 MW, 734 MW, 2055 MW and 2626 MW hydropower installation is required for BAU, LGR, MGR and HGR scenarios, respectively. In the MGR scenario, substituting LPG with electricity could save from $21.8 million (2016) to $70.8 million (2035) each year, which could be used to develop large-scale hydropower projects in the long term.

ACS Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Surendra Pandit. Electricity as a Cooking Means in Nepal—A Modelling Tool Approach. Sustainability 2018, 10, 2841 .

AMA Style

Ramchandra Bhandari, Surendra Pandit. Electricity as a Cooking Means in Nepal—A Modelling Tool Approach. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (8):2841.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Surendra Pandit. 2018. "Electricity as a Cooking Means in Nepal—A Modelling Tool Approach." Sustainability 10, no. 8: 2841.

Preprint
Published: 01 August 2018 in SSRN Electronic Journal
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Electricity shortage in Nigeria is very critical hence, need arises for joint, adequate and timely intervention especially by incorporating the available alternative energy sources. This paper is aimed at designing a Grid-Connected Hybrid Renewable Energy System for the case of Zaria, Nigeria. This was done by considering different scenarios starting from the conventional standalone diesel and gasoline generator systems to renewable off-grid hybrid system and finally to the proposed grid-connected renewable hybrid system design coupled with energy efficiency measures. The considered scenarios were addressed for a defined number of households and the clear benefits have been seen on implementing the proposed target as a transition from the conventional energy systems arising from grid unreliability and power shortages in the study region. In all the scenarios, physical components modelling, simulations and optimization were done using HOMER Pro Software, and finally the energy management aspect to the proposed grid-connected energy system scenario was addressed using ADVANCED EXCEL via a VISUAL BASIC Conditional Programming. The results obtained showed that the proposed scenario i.e. the grid-connected system design was the best of all the scenarios considered in terms of total NPC, LCOE, ghg emissions and pollutants. It ensures for example a total NPC and LCOE reduction from the off-grid hybrid renewable system scenario by 69%. Incorporating the energy efficiency measures to the proposed grid-connected scenario results in improved benefits hence an opportunity for a more rapid transition. Therefore, the proposed approach is the best to implement coupled with expansions for effective solution to energy deficit and climate change challenges in the country of study and the African continent at large.

ACS Style

Jumare Ismail Abubakar; Ramchandra Bhandari; Abdellatif Zerga. Decentralized Grid-Connected Hybrid Renewable Energy System Design in Nigeria, Case Study of Zaria Municipal. SSRN Electronic Journal 2018, 1 .

AMA Style

Jumare Ismail Abubakar, Ramchandra Bhandari, Abdellatif Zerga. Decentralized Grid-Connected Hybrid Renewable Energy System Design in Nigeria, Case Study of Zaria Municipal. SSRN Electronic Journal. 2018; ():1.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jumare Ismail Abubakar; Ramchandra Bhandari; Abdellatif Zerga. 2018. "Decentralized Grid-Connected Hybrid Renewable Energy System Design in Nigeria, Case Study of Zaria Municipal." SSRN Electronic Journal , no. : 1.

Conference paper
Published: 01 May 2018 in 2018 7th International Energy and Sustainability Conference (IESC)
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Majority of the rural population in developing countries depends on traditional fuels. An estimated 20% world's population does not have access to electricity. Most of those people live in areas often difficult to connect to electrical grids. Renewable energy technologies might be lower cost options in such areas, where both population and electricity demand are low. The main objective of this study was to develop a reliable and cost competitive autonomous energy supply system with renewable energy resources. As a reference site, a University campus in northern Ghana was chosen. A tool for load profile assessment is developed. Resulting load profiles under different scenario are presented. Available renewable energy resources is estimated. Based on these results, a hybrid system has been sized and is later validated in HOMER Pro®. Results show an autonomous hybrid system configuration with 185 kWp PV, 73 kWh battery and three biodiesel (Jatropha based) generators (165 kVA, 110 kVA and 34 kVA) as optimum to supply the electricity need. Levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) was calculated as 28 €ct/kWh, 2 % lower than the grid electricity price. Sensitivity analysis showed the imputed interest rate, fuel price and investment costs have the most impact on LCOE.

ACS Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Julian Gerstner; Hicham Belhassan; Dominik Gtz; Hanno Hausmann. Autonomous Electricity Supply with Hybrid Renewable Configuration in Ghana. 2018 7th International Energy and Sustainability Conference (IESC) 2018, 1 -8.

AMA Style

Ramchandra Bhandari, Julian Gerstner, Hicham Belhassan, Dominik Gtz, Hanno Hausmann. Autonomous Electricity Supply with Hybrid Renewable Configuration in Ghana. 2018 7th International Energy and Sustainability Conference (IESC). 2018; ():1-8.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Julian Gerstner; Hicham Belhassan; Dominik Gtz; Hanno Hausmann. 2018. "Autonomous Electricity Supply with Hybrid Renewable Configuration in Ghana." 2018 7th International Energy and Sustainability Conference (IESC) , no. : 1-8.

Conference paper
Published: 01 May 2018 in 2018 7th International Energy and Sustainability Conference (IESC)
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Germany is a “mature” market for solar photovoltaics (PV) systems. The electricity production from renewables grew from around 6% in 2000 to nearly 36% in 2017. With the policy instrument feed-in-tariff, the PV installations boomed in the country over the past years, though the recent trend is in decline. Also in many other countries (e.g., China, Japan, etc.) solar PV installation is growing recently at a faster rate than many projected scenarios. It is seen as the next major energy regime in many countries. Hence it is necessary to model the future market growth and predict the further cost reductions under different scenarios of market dynamics. In this paper, using the experience curve model, the historical PV market trend is analyzed and results are used to predict the future of solar PV growth in German and global market, including its cost reduction potential. Also the solar PV policy of Germany has been discussed. As the results, the future PV growth scenarios are presented until 2030 for Germany and global cases. Based on the used experience curve model, the respective future price trends (2030 prices for German PV systems) are projected to be in a range from 250 to 500 €/kWp.

ACS Style

Ramchandra Bhandari. Riding through the Experience Curve for Solar Photovoltaics Systems in Germany. 2018 7th International Energy and Sustainability Conference (IESC) 2018, 1 -7.

AMA Style

Ramchandra Bhandari. Riding through the Experience Curve for Solar Photovoltaics Systems in Germany. 2018 7th International Energy and Sustainability Conference (IESC). 2018; ():1-7.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramchandra Bhandari. 2018. "Riding through the Experience Curve for Solar Photovoltaics Systems in Germany." 2018 7th International Energy and Sustainability Conference (IESC) , no. : 1-7.

Journal article
Published: 09 February 2018 in Energy, Sustainability and Society
Reads 0
Downloads 0

Many rural electrification projects around the world employ micro hydropower plants (MHPs). These installations provide immediate and direct benefits to the local people. However, the sustainability of their operation in the long run remains a vital issue. Without proper sustainability assessment, the projects may face operational problems. However, to date, only a few empirical studies exist which offer tools to assess sustainability of MHP projects post-implementation. Given that every site has peculiar characteristics that could largely vary from site to site, there is a need to develop a model which could assess and compare the feasibility of the projects from the sustainability point of view before the project is implemented. For this purpose, a thorough sustainability assessment model was developed for an MHP project in a mountainous region of Nepal. This paper presents a sustainability assessment model for micro hydropower plants. In order to collect the data necessary to run the model, different sets of questionnaires were prepared for all relevant stakeholders. The developed model was used to assess an overall sustainability of a 26-kW plant at Mahadevsthan in Dhading District of Nepal. At this site, 15 community households, a project management committee member, an operator, and three policy makers/micro hydro experts were interviewed. The indicator system developed here was finalized with the stakeholder’s participation. A sustainability assessment model for the operation of micro hydropower plants in a remote rural area of Nepal was developed. Our model includes 54 assessment indicators taking into account economic, social, environmental, and technical sustainability dimensions and a scoring system (ranging from 1 to 5, with 5 being the best). It was found that the social dimension shows the best performance with a score of 4.17 for the studied MHP, followed by environmental (3.94), economic (3.74), and technical dimensions (3.04). The results show that the developed model creates a qualitative and quantitative basis for sustainability assessment of MHPs, allowing easiness for comparison of micro hydro projects, providing an effective decision-making support tool in rural electrification and development sector. The input of all stakeholders in identifying site-specific indicators that are relevant to the sustainability of the projects is crucial for minimizing biases in the assessment framework.

ACS Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Lena Ganda Saptalena; Wolfgang Kusch. Sustainability assessment of a micro hydropower plant in Nepal. Energy, Sustainability and Society 2018, 8, 3 .

AMA Style

Ramchandra Bhandari, Lena Ganda Saptalena, Wolfgang Kusch. Sustainability assessment of a micro hydropower plant in Nepal. Energy, Sustainability and Society. 2018; 8 (1):3.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ramchandra Bhandari; Lena Ganda Saptalena; Wolfgang Kusch. 2018. "Sustainability assessment of a micro hydropower plant in Nepal." Energy, Sustainability and Society 8, no. 1: 3.