Hybrid Solar/Heat Pump System for Water Heating in Nigeria: Techno-economic assessment

Abstract

Due to the pervasive use of fossil fuels-based technologies for meeting domestic energy needs such as water heating, space cooling, and lighting, household energy consumption is increasing rapidly. However, these technologies consume enormous energy with huge energy costs. The energy crisis in Nigeria has long been identified as one of the key major obstacles impeding the country's economic growth, resulting in the disproportionate use of biomass for domestic heating. Therefore, fossil fuels-based heating technologies need to be substituted with a clean, eco-friendly, in exhaustible renewable heating technology towards achieving a net-zero energy target in buildings. Water heating with a hybrid system is a promising alternative to reduce energy consumption and costs. This system can be used as an off-grid energy solution to generate hot water in remote areas. This paper examines the techno-economic suitability of using a hybrid solar/heat pump system to address the issue of energy conservation. The methodology considered the initial upfront cost, operating and maintenance costs, grid energy costs, salvage cost, and the inflation rate over the project's economic life as an economic comparative metric. When compared to a baseline heating system, the use of hybrid systems saves about NGN 865,668.80, resulting in a 46.8% cost savings.