Due to their small dimension and isolated energy systems, islands face a significant energy supply challenge. In general, they use fossil fuels for electricity generation. Fossil fuels are a major source of CO2 emissions, and they are very costly. The cost of electricity generation on islands is up to 10 times higher than on the mainland. This situation without a doubt represents a financial burden for the islanders. Using renewable sources, especially solar and wind sources, offers great potential for power generation in remote locations, as they are a clean and inexhaustible source of energy. Electrifying these zones with a hybrid system consisting of a photovoltaic (PV) and wind systems associated to a hydraulic and an electrochemical storage system is a promising alternative. The purpose of this study is to optimize the dimension of the components generation of systems, especially for a remote island in Tunisia. The first part of this object outlines the PV-wind-battery-hydraulic generation system architecture and modeling. The optimal sizing of the device additives, satisfying two criteria with the aid of evolutionary algorithms NSGAII, is defined inside the second part of this article. The outcomes are discussed from the point of view of the importance of the system dimension and in terms of compliance with the criteria through the study of the most optimal particular configurations.

Currently, electricity generation in off-grid communities is done through polluting and often inefficient diesel generators. When renewable energies are implemented, they are often coupled with chemical batteries, whose specificities do not fit well with remote and harsh environments. As a more sustainable alternative, this paper looks at micro pumped hydro energy storage coupled with solar photovoltaic production. Rural electrification in Colombia is selected as the best potential context for such a solution. Several electrical machines are considered for energy conversion (associated with one pump also utilized as turbine for robustness and cost reasons) and rated over-dedicated criteria: reactive power, efficiency, price, flexibility of power intake, complexity, and robustness. This sketching phase highlights two machines, induction and permanent magnet synchronous machines, both coupled with a variable frequency drive. Two microgrid configurations are also selected that best suit this storage technology to the needs of Colombian non-interconnected zones. A pursuit of low-tech, robust solutions is carried in this paper for reasons of costs, maintenance, and local appropriation.

Photovoltaic (PV)/biomass systems offer stable/continuous power by overcoming solar-energy intermittency with biomass dispatchable energy. Considering gaps in the scientific literature, this article sets out to present information on PV/biomass installations and the eco-profiles of different feedstocks for biogas generation. To this end, this article is split into two parts. The first one outlines some key elements of the literature on PV/biomass systems, highlighting factors that determine feasibility and performance. The second one presents the eco-profiles of three feedstocks. The methodology is based on literature review and Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA). Regarding the first part, the results show that the majority of the prior research placed emphasis on techno-economic analysis and the design/modelling of PV/biomass systems, and there is a dearth of LCA studies on PV/biomass installations. As for the second part, the findings demonstrate that, among the feedstocks examined (manure; waste cooking oil; grass), in most categories, animal waste shows the highest environmental impacts. For instance, considering the total impact of these three feedstocks and based on Environmental Product Declaration (EPD), the results indicate that, in many categories, manure surpasses the percentage values of 40%. Grass exhibits minor percentage shares, with the exception of the “Eutrophication” (54%) and “Acidification” (33%) categories.