Jul 30, 2016 - renewable energy as the primary energy source at the University of Benghazi. .... wind turbines forms a hybrid renewable energy system [5].
The Role of the Renewable Energy in Reconstruction of University of Benghazi: A Proposal
By: Dr. Ashraf Khalil July 2016
Workshop on Reconstruction of the University of Benghazi, 30-31 Jul 2016, Medical University, Benghazi, Libya.
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Abstract: The limitation of fossil fuel resources and the negative environmental effects are the key driving forces for adopting the renewable energy worldwide. Libya is the largest oil producer in North Africa. The oil and the natural gas exportation contribute to the most of the Libyan economical revenue. Due to the increased energy demands Libya must reconstruct its energy sector by building new power plants and improve its power transmission capabilities. In the mean time this will require large investment and long time for planning, design and installation. Renewable energy sources, especially PV, have short installation time. University of Benghazi has very large unused surface space that can be used for Photovoltaic panels installation. Additionally, the university has large unused land space suitable for wind turbine installation. The main issue in designing PV systems is the availability of the space to generate the required energy amount. In this paper, we propose the use of the renewable energy as the primary energy source at the University of Benghazi. This includes the calculation of the required space area to be covered by PV modules in order to generate the electricity for the buildings of the University of Benghazi. The implementation of the renewable energy to electrify the buildings at the University of Benghazi have many advantages. As the country faces a shortage in electricity supply, the renewable energy will provide the independence and also provide the university with its electricity needs. This is very important for developing the university. The universities must have a leading role in its community and bringing the renewable energy into the University of Benghazi will create the awareness among the people of the advantages of the renewable energy and the long and short term impacts of the wasteful use of electricity. The Research and Development are very important to the University and Libya. However, Libya is blessed with high potential for renewable energy, its share in electricity production is negligible. Installing PV systems and small wind turbines provide pilot projects which are valuable for understanding these systems in order to optimize their performance in Libyan weather conditions. In this paper, we discuss the feasibility of using the renewable energy as the primer energy source at the University of Benghazi. The required land for PV installation is estimated. The feasibility of medium-size wind turbine installation is discussed. A study of the economic feasibility of using the renewable energy in the University is carried out. This study will pave the way for more detailed future studies.
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1.1 Introduction The University of Benghazi (UOB) is one of the top academic institutions in Libya. The University of Benghazi was formerly known as University of Garyounis. UOB founded in 1955. The main campus of UOB is sited in Garyounis on the periphery of Benghazi. In 2014 the UOB became a battlefield and many of the university buildings were badly damaged. After the war has come to an end the UOB needs to be reconstructed. One of the most important steps for reconstructing and developing the university is to secure the energy sources. Due to the massive destruction of the infrastructure and the suspension of many energy projects in the country, the General Electrical Company of Libya (GECOL) failed to supply the load demands. The GECOL was forced to apply load shedding to prevent power system collapse. The solution to the electricity shortage requires huge investments and longtime planning. So a fast recovery could not be seen in the near horizon. Libya is one of the countries blessed with high potential for solar and wind energy, however, their share in the electricity market is negligible. We believe that the renewable energy is very promising technology for the future of Libya. In this paper, we propose the use of the renewable energy as the primary energy source in the University of Benghazi (UOB).
1.2 Renewable Energy Technologies The most important two promising renewable energy technologies in Libya are the solar and the wind energy. For example the average solar radiation in Libya is around 7.5 kWh/m2/day with about 3000 to 3500 sunshine hours per year [1]. Additionally, the average wind speed is roughly between 6 m/s and 7.5 m/s at 40 m height [1]. This huge amount of sunshine and wind distributed over an area of 1,750,000 km2 can provide the future electricity needs for Libya and its neighbors. A map for the direct solar radiation in Libya is shown in Fig. 1 [2]. Because Libya is one of the largest oil and gas producer in Africa it depends on these fossil fuels to generate its electricity requirements. After the massive destruction which happened in the country in the last few years, Libya is hungry for the electricity. Depending mainly on fossil fuel will have many side effects on the country's economy. M ore fuel consumption will reduce the country revenue in addition to the negative environmental effects of the fossil fuel and the worldwide plans for reducing the CO2. Renewable energy is one of the promising alternatives for the future of Libya.
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Figure 1. The direct solar radiation in Libya [2]
1.3 Advantages of Bringing the Renewable Energy to UOB The renewable energy is not a new technology in Libya. It has been successfully used for more than three decades [3]. The primary applications are for electrification of small remote loads such as communication repeaters, rural electrifications، water pumping and Cathodic Protection for the oil pipelines in the desert. Fig 2 shows a PV panel for powering a CP system to protect the pipelines against corrosion [4]. 4
Figure 2. A PV system for Cathodic Protection in the desert [4].
Bringing the renewable energy to UOB will be substantially beneficial to the university and Libya. The cost of the renewable energy technology is declining and it is the time to adopt this technology in Libya. Additionally the installation of PV systems and wind farms is now feasible in many countries around the world. Solar energy is harvested from the sun, which is a secure energy source. M any universities and academic institutions around the world have adopted the renewable energy to satisfy their energy needs, for example, the M assachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Colorado at Boulder, University of British Columbia and the University of North Carolina. These academic institutions made advances and breakthroughs through implementing the renewable energy. Renewable Energy is beneficial to UOB for the following reasons:
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As the country faces a shortage in electricity supply, the renewable energy will provide the independence and also provide the university with its electricity needs. In the case of blackouts the main services in the university will be independent of the electricity grid. Create the awareness among the people of the advantages of the renewable energy and the long and short term impacts of the wasteful use of electricity. Installing PV systems and small wind turbines could provide pilot projects. These practical systems will provide real case studies that will help in understanding these systems in order to optimize their performance for Libya 5
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weather conditions. The university could establish a renewable energy research Centre that will have a greater role in penetrating the renewable energy into Libya energy mix. Research and Development: Establishing a renewable energy research center at the university is very important for both the research and development. Developing expertises in the field of renewable energy will make the university a very important institution that will attract the local and the international industry. Energy Savings: The implementation of the renewable energy programs is always coupled with the energy saving concept. One of the main problems in Libya is the irrational use of the electricity. Installing renewable energy sources of the university campus will help to reduce the irrational use of the electricity and save the electricity bills. To gain local and international recognition: The universities and academic institutions that adopted renewable energy have gained a worldwide reputation. This, in turn, will attract the local and the international attention. Creating learning and teaching opportunities [6]: as the renewable energy systems are not available in many of the developing countries, the installation of these systems will provide the best environment for the research and the education to create professionals and expertises. Saving the country natural resources: Initiating renewable energy projects will encourage other institutions, private company and homeowners to adopt this technology. As a result the renewable energy share will increase. This will reduce the oil and gas consumption and in turn saving the precious natural resources.
1.4 The Proposed PV System University of Benghazi has very large unused roof space that can be used for Photovoltaic panels installation. Additionally, the university has large unused land space. The main issue in designing PV systems is the availability of the space to generate the required energy amount. Figure 3 shows the building of the faculty of engineering. To generate 1 kW we require around 10 m2. Each of the main twelve buildings in Figure 3 has a roof area of 1000 m2. Each building could generate around 100 kW, which makes the total generated power around 1.2 M W. These buildings are suitable for PV system installation for many reasons. 1) There is no shading from nearby building, 2) The PV panels can be easily oriented to face the sun for power maximization, 3) The electrical energy will be consumed where it generated, so less wires can be used.
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Figure 3. Aerial view of the buildings in the faculty of engineering
For all the university buildings the total available roof space should be accurately calculated. Solar energy is believed to be the most important and feasible renewable energy source in Libya. Libya lies within the most favorable sunny zone (between 150 N and 350 N) [3]. Figure 4 shows the solar isolation in a number of cities in Libya. The solar insolation is the amount of solar radiation received per unit area at a given time and it is measured in kWh/m2/day. Clearly Benghazi has high potential of solar energy as clarified in Fig. 4. From these data the electrical energy output of any PV system can be calculated. Figure. 4 shows that the solar radiation is high during the summer. The maximum load increases greatly in the hottest months in summer (June, July, Aug, Sept and Oct). The main reason is the excessive, irrational use of air conditioners. Also the load demand increases in the coldest months in the year (Jan, Feb and Dec) because of the use of heaters.
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Figure 4 The monthly solar radiation in different cities in Libya
The campus of the university has many roads that require a considerable number of street lights in addition to the outdoor lighting. M oving to LED solar street lighting can provide many advantages, especially for campuses and small villages. LED solar street lights are the best alternative for the traditional street lighting systems. They are efficient, cost-effective and environmental friendly. These systems are simple and easy to install and repair. At day time the solar panel charges the battery, and at night or cloudy weather the battery powers the LED lamp. Additionally the installation cost is usually low for the following reasons: no need for long and heavy cables, and long life products (for LED approximately 60,000 hours maintenance free and the PV panel 25-30 year lifetime). The power consumption is 40-70 % lower than traditional lighting system, LED solar light is shown in Fig. 5.
Figure 5 LED solar street light
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1.5 The Proposed Wind Energy Conversion System Wind energy system installation requires a large land area. The university has a lot of the unused land that could be suitable for wind turbine installation. Fig 6 shows the unused space behind the faculty of engineering. Installing PV systems and wind turbines forms a hybrid renewable energy system [5]. This system matches the electricity needs for the weather in Benghazi. During the summer there will be a sufficient amount of sunshine and the peak load will coincide with the peak solar generation at noon. In the winter there will be a deficit in the sunshine and the wind turbine performs well in winter. Other advantages of such system are the reduction in the storage units that forms the most expensive part in the system. The average wind speed in a number of cities in Libya is shown in Fig. 7.
Figure 6. Aerial view Unused space behind the faculty of engineering
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Avera ge wi nd speed a t 10 me ter Avera ge wi nd speed a t 50 me ter Avera ge wi nd speed a t 100 meter
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Wind Speed, (m/s)
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4
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0
Trip oli
Si rt
Ejda bia
Benghazi
Der na
Tob roq
Shahat
G adamas
Sebha
Figure 7. The monthly average wind speed in different cities in Libya 9
J alu
Kuf ra
The wind farm has more than three wind turbines and requires a relatively large area depending on the turbine size. The generated power of the wind turbine depends on the diameter of its rotor as shown in Fig 8. The wind turbines should be placed at 3-10 rotor diameters.
Figure 8. The power rating for different wind turbine diameters
For example the 1 M W wind turbine has a diameter of 48 m, the distance between the turbines will be in the range (144 m- 480 m). The spacing depends on the special characteristics of the site. The unused land area behind the faculty of engineering building is shown in Fig. 9. As a rule of thumb 10 to 15 M W requires around 1 km2.
Figure 9. The proposed wind farm at UOB 10
Wind farm site selection requires some peculiarities. The most important characteristics of the site are: open land without obstacles, sufficient wind, and a smooth surface area. The university campus has many available land areas as shown in Fig. 10. The wind speed should be assessed at Garyounis then we could estimate the wind potential. The topographical information about the campus are then used to design the wind farm.
Figure 10. Aerial view of the UOB campus at Garyounis
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1.6 Feasibility Analysis This project focuses on the feasibility of implementing the renewable energy at UOB. In order for this project to be successful a number of steps should be carried out. Figure 11 shows the most important steps in the project. The first pre-design step is to carry out an assessment of the wind and the solar energy at Garyounis. The second step is to calculate the energy requirements for the university buildings. This includes the types of loads and the load profile. Depending on the load demand and the weather data the size of the PV system and the number of the wind turbines can be determined. The next step is to choose between the different manufacturers and carry out a feasibility study for the project.
Figure 11 The basic three steps in the system design
The main concern is the high upfront cost for the project. The project can be done in three or four stages. As an example, Fig. 12 shows a proposed ten year plan.
75 % 2023
50 % 2020 25 % 2017 Figure 12. The proposed renewable energy plan
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% 100 2026
This proposed plan is feasible for many reasons. Dividing the project into a number of stages reduces the upfront cost. Extending the project over longer time will allow the university to look for project fund opportunities. The renewable energy is very fast growing technology and achieving the plan over a longer time period will make the project updated for the latest technologies. Furthermore, the experience with this new technology will have the enough time to mature. Another important issue is to examine similar examples for universities that adopted the renewable energy. For the feasibility analysis, there are also a number of software packages that can be used for decision making. These softwares calculate the energy production, operating cost and the reduction in greenhouse gas emission. Cost: After determining the size of the renewable energy system the price of the system could be estimated. The companies and the manufacturer around the world must be contacted for prices request. It should be noted that the price of the system depends on the size and tends to drop as the system size becomes larger. The average price of the PV systems has a negative trend as shown in Fig. 13.
Figure 13 The experience curve of the PV module
Australian companies provide accurate and reliable prices of PV systems every month. The cost of 10 kW is around $14,000. The cost of the system includes the cost of the solar panels, construction cost, required infrastructure cost, shipment cost, installation cost, and operation and maintenance cost. In simple terms the cost of the system is given by:
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The time used in the cost calculation is usually 25 years. This system cost can then be compared with the grid electricity projected overt 25 years. Additionally, two other important factors can be determined; the CO2 reduction and the payback time in years. For example, for the faculty of engineering buildings we must have:
The Area
Roof PV Size
12*1000 m2
System The Generated kWh for 25 years 1.2 M W 262,800,000
The Building The Energy Electricity Savings needs ??? ???
1.7 Difficulties We May Face In the pre-design and during the design and the installation of the renewable energy system possible difficulties may arise. • • • •
The system may have a large upfront cost. Renewable energy is still viewed as suspicious. Data Collection Problems: The lack of weather data and electrical loads data. Electricity subsidizing.
1.8 Conclusions In this paper, we propose the use of the renewable energy as the primary energy source at the University of Benghazi. The possibility of installing PV systems and wind turbines is discussed. From the preliminary results the university has a sufficient roof area and land space to accommodate renewable energy system. Adopting renewable energy sources is beneficial to the university and the whole community. The main advantages of moving to green energy are discussed. This proposed study can be used as a guide for further detailed study and economic feasibility analysis.
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References 1- Ali Asheibe and Ashraf Khalil, "The Renewable Energy in Libya: Present Difficulties and Remedies", In the Proceedings of the World Congress on Renewable Energy", M elbourne, Australia, 2013. 2- Accurate and efficient solar energy assessment, solargis.com. 3- Ashraf Khalil and Ali Asheibi, "The Chances and Challenges for Renewable Energy in Libya", In Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Renewable Energy Research and Applications, Palermo، Italy, pp. 1-6, 2015. 4- Paul A. Lynn, "Electricity from Sunlight: An Introduction to Photovoltaics", Wiley, 2010. 5- O. A. Soysal, H. S. Soysal, "A Residential Example of Hybrid Wind-Solar Energy System: WISE", 6- JJ Augenbraun, "Energy From the Sun: A Solar Feasibility Study for M acquarie University". 7- Johannes N. M ayer, Dr. Simon Philipps, Noha Saad, Hussein, Dr. Thomas Schlegl, Charlotte Senkpiel, "Current and Future Cost of Photovoltaics: Longterm Scenarios for M arket Development, System Prices and LCOE of UtilityScale PV Systems", A Study, Germany, 2015.
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