Economical feasibility of off-grid hybrid power supply for estonian remote areas—part 2: Determination of breakeven grid extension distances

Abstract

The paper considers the implementation of an off-grid hybrid power supply as an alternative to construction of a grid connection in sparsely populated remote areas in Estonia. In the previous part, the proper configurations of the off-grid hybrid system and component sizes were determined through optimization procedures at different typical meteorological conditions including coastal and inland ones. In this part, levelized costs of energy (LCOEs) were found for a newly built grid connection under the same load demands and interest rates. They were compared with the LCOEs for the off-grid systems in order to find breakeven grid extension distances. As a result, the recommendations on the expedience of off-grid hybrid power supply were obtained for different regions of Estonia.