LAPSE:2023.33653
Published Article
LAPSE:2023.33653
Techno-Economic Modelling of Micro-Hydropower Mini-Grids in Nepal to Improve Financial Sustainability and Enable Electric Cooking
William Clements, Surendra Pandit, Prashanna Bajracharya, Joe Butchers, Sam Williamson, Biraj Gautam, Paul Harper
April 21, 2023
In rural Nepal, micro-hydropower plant mini-grids provide renewable electricity to thousands of communities but the plants often have poor financial sustainability. Widespread uptake of electric cooking in such communities is currently not feasible due to high peak loads and limited capacity. In this paper, we develop a Remote-Areas Multi-Energy Systems Load Profiles (RAMP)-based stochastic techno-economic model for evaluating the economic viability of off-grid communities and improving their financial sustainability by introducing new appliances, productive end uses, and demand-side management measures. The model can be used to understand community electricity demand, assess economic status, determine equitable and profitable tariff structures, and plan new connections including electric cooking promotion or new industrial machines. Detailed electric cooking load modelling functionality was developed to represent Nepali cooking practices, scalable to approximate widespread uptake of electric cooking, and adaptable to other cookers and contexts. The model showed that a payment structure based on electricity consumption rather than a flat tariff could increase the income of a case study community in Eastern Nepal by 400%, although increased monthly payments for certain households from NPR 110 (USD 0.93) to NPR 500−1100 (USD 4.22−9.29) could present difficulty. However, households could reduce their electricity consumption and a more equitable tariff structure could be chosen while preserving plant profitability. The number of industrial machines such as mills could be doubled and up to 40 households provided with electric cookers if demand-side management measures were introduced.
Keywords
demand-side management, electric cooking, micro-hydropower, mini-grid, Nepal, techno-economic model
Suggested Citation
Clements W, Pandit S, Bajracharya P, Butchers J, Williamson S, Gautam B, Harper P. Techno-Economic Modelling of Micro-Hydropower Mini-Grids in Nepal to Improve Financial Sustainability and Enable Electric Cooking. (2023). LAPSE:2023.33653
Author Affiliations
Clements W: Electrical Energy Management Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK [ORCID]
Pandit S: Kathmandu Alternative Power and Energy Group (KAPEG), Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Bajracharya P: People Energy and Environment Development Association (PEEDA), Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Butchers J: Electrical Energy Management Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK
Williamson S: Electrical Energy Management Group, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK
Gautam B: People Energy and Environment Development Association (PEEDA), Kathmandu 44600, Nepal
Harper P: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TR, UK
Journal Name
Energies
Volume
14
Issue
14
First Page
4232
Year
2021
Publication Date
2021-07-13
Published Version
ISSN
1996-1073
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Original Submission
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PII: en14144232, Publication Type: Journal Article
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doi:10.3390/en14144232
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