Journal of Energy Research and Reviews

Techno-Economic Assessment of a Solar PV–Battery–Diesel Hybrid Microgrid for Enhancing Energy Management in The Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Sanjiv Sarkar — 2026-09-05

The Andaman and Nicobar Islands face significant energy-management challenges due to geographical isolation, limited grid connectivity, high fuel transportation costs, and continued dependence on diesel-based electricity generation. This study assesses the technical reliability and economic viability of a solar PV–battery–diesel hybrid microgrid for enhancing energy management in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The study adopts a quantitative, simulation-based techno-economic approach using secondary energy data compiled from the World Development Indicators (WDI), Energy Statistics India published by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI), Government of India, and supporting technical sources. HOMER Pro is employed to simulate and optimise the hybrid configuration, while MATLAB is used for supplementary data processing, statistical comparison, and hypothesis testing. The modelling framework assumes solar PV as the principal renewable source, battery storage to balance generation and demand, and diesel generation as backup during renewable and storage shortfalls. Technical performance is evaluated through annual electricity generation, renewable fraction, battery autonomy, outage hours, diesel consumption, and CO₂ emissions, while economic performance is assessed using Net Present Cost (NPC), Levelised Cost of Energy (LCOE), operating cost, and payback period. The results indicate that the hybrid system reduces annual outage hours by 77.4%, achieves a renewable fraction of 48%, reduces diesel consumption by 56.5%, and lowers CO₂ emissions by 54.3%. NPC decreases by 36.5%, while LCOE declines from ₹32.4/kWh to ₹18.7/kWh. Sensitivity analysis further evaluates variations in diesel prices, battery costs, and solar-resource conditions. The findings indicate that, under the evaluated modelling conditions, the solar PV–battery–diesel hybrid microgrid can improve supply reliability, increase renewable-energy utilisation, reduce diesel dependence and emissions, and enhance lifecycle economic performance, providing useful evidence for sustainable energy planning in remote island communities.

Psychosocial Impact of Irregular Electricity Power Supply: A Case Study of Nigeria

Bamgboye Morakinyo Afolabi — 2026-09-08

Aim: The aim of the study was to evaluate the psychosocial, economic, and health impacts of prolonged power outages in Nigeria.

Study Design: A convenience sample was used for the study.

Materials and Methods: A semi-structured questionnaire was used to explore the psychosocial effects of electricity power outages in Nigeria. The questionnaire was exported to Google Forms for responses from Nigerians living within the country. NCSS 2020 statistical software was used for the analysis.

Results: The mean (±SD) age of respondents was 26.0 (12.3) years. Most respondents were in the 20-29-year age group (94, 51.1%), were female (117, 63.6%), were students (103, 56.0%), were mainly from the Southwest zone (162, 88.4%), lived in urban residences (112, 60.9%), and had residences with electricity supply (169, 91.8%). The mean duration of sleep (hours) without electricity supply (4.77±1.83) was significantly shorter (t-test=12.41, P-value<0.00001) than when electricity was supplied (6.48±1.53). Overall, 67.9% of respondents incurred various losses as a consequence of electricity power outages. Approximately 31% of respondents reported a continuous power-outage duration of 72-96 hours, most frequently among urban residents (35.1%). Heat was the major factor (85.3%) affecting respondents during power outages, while 70.7% of respondents felt frustrated by the power outages and 62.0% strongly agreed that their productivity at work was reduced during power outages.

Conclusion: Irregular and erratic power outages (PO), which may last up to 96 hours or more, severely impact people's livelihoods. Sleep duration is reduced, and productivity at work or school is severely affected. Heat was the factor that made respondents most uncomfortable during power outages in Nigeria's hot environment, and air pollution from generator fumes compounds the problem.

Offshore Wind Energy Generation from Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) in Guyana

Rikhi Ramkissoon — 2026-09-11

Background: Offshore wind energy may provide a complementary renewable-energy option for Guyana, particularly in areas with substantial offshore industrial activity.

Aims: To use offshore wind data collected from a ship offshore Guyana to estimate potential energy generation using vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs).

Place and Duration of Study: University of the West Indies, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, St Augustine Campus. Data were collected from the Stena Carron drillship offshore Guyana from January 2025 to December 2025.

Methodology: Offshore Guyana was chosen as the study area because of the availability of wind data and the high level of offshore activity. The data were collected offshore Guyana in the oil and gas fields leased by ExxonMobil Guyana. They were gathered at different offshore sites, depending on the area in which the exploration well was being drilled. The recorded wind speeds varied throughout the year. The highest monthly average of 10.38 m/s was observed in February 2025, whilst the lowest monthly average was 5.71 m/s in July 2025. The wind turbine used for the modelling had three MI-VAWT1 blade profiles, a blade length of 10 metres, and a diameter of 9 metres. These physical characteristics were chosen to limit the turbine footprint whilst still producing sufficient power. The Paraschivoiu double streamtube model was used for turbine modelling.

Results: The results indicate that offshore Guyana has considerable potential as a renewable wind resource. The modelled VAWT produced daily power outputs ranging from 72.75 kWh to 437.13 kWh. The highest monthly power output corresponded to the highest mean monthly wind speed and occurred in February. Installing multiple wind turbines could produce clean energy that may complement the high level of activity currently occurring offshore Guyana. The use of this wind resource could support Guyana's rapidly growing economy in a sustainable manner by diversifying its energy dependence from oil and gas towards an alternative clean resource.

Conclusion: The vertical axis wind turbine modelled in this study showed that it could generate an average daily power output of 203.42 kWh over the year. A VAWT array would yield higher power output but would require a larger footprint.

Renewable Energy for Sustainable Irrigation and Agricultural Production: Technologies, Trade-offs and Pathways for Integrated Deployment

Ibrahim Babangida — 2026-09-02

Agricultural production depends on reliable energy for water lifting, pressurised irrigation, protected cultivation and other farm operations, yet conventional diesel and electricity supply can expose producers to fuel-price volatility, unreliable service and greenhouse-gas emissions. Renewable energy offers a credible route to reduce these constraints, but technology substitution alone does not ensure sustainability. This critical narrative review evaluates renewable energy technologies for irrigation and agricultural production, with particular emphasis on solar photovoltaic pumping, wind and hybrid pumping, bioenergy, agrivoltaics, and renewable thermal energy for greenhouses. The literature was selected from open scholarly indexes and authoritative institutional sources and critically appraised for technical validity, economic assumptions, environmental boundaries, water-resource implications and implementation context. The evidence is strongest for solar photovoltaic pumping, whose modularity, low operating expenditure and alignment with daytime irrigation demand make it attractive across off-grid and weak-grid settings. Its principal limitation is not energy conversion but system integration: inappropriate pump sizing, weak maintenance, financing barriers and the removal of marginal pumping costs can undermine both reliability and groundwater sustainability. Evidence from India and Bangladesh demonstrates that groundwater outcomes are institutionally mediated rather than technologically predetermined; ownership, water pricing, irrigation service models and crop choice strongly shape rebound effects. Wind, biomass and hybrid systems can be effective where local resources justify them, but their comparative advantages are more site-specific. Agrivoltaic evidence indicates potential land- and water-use synergies, particularly in hot and water-limited environments, while crop-yield responses remain heterogeneous and sensitive to shading geometry. Renewable greenhouse heating and cooling can reduce fossil-energy dependence, although long-term commercial evidence is thinner than engineering studies suggest. Sustainable deployment therefore requires integrated design across water availability, hydraulic demand, renewable resources, finance, lifecycle impacts, farmer capability and governance. Future research should prioritise multi-season field trials, basin-aware groundwater accounting, harmonised lifecycle assessment and business models that preserve incentives for water conservation while broadening smallholder access.