1. Techno-Economic Feasibility Study of Solar Powered Rural Community Heat Grid System in Langtang
- Author
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Ghimire, M, Dahal, P, Bhandari, S, Kandel, R, Niroula, Y, Pandit, S, Shrestha, S, and Shah, M
- Abstract
Langtang, a popular tourist destination in Nepal’s northern Himalayas, relies heavily on solid fuels like coal, wood, and LPG, accounting for 99.3% of its energy demand. This reliance is a significant source of greenhouse gas emissions and deforestation. The proposed study provides a green alternative by utilizing heat that would otherwise be squandered with benefits including avoided cost of energy, through which the use of surplus and wasted heat energy, and reduced investment in individual household or building heating equipment. This paper conducts a feasibility study to assess technical and economic viabilities of introducing a solar water heater reinforced rural heat grid network in the region. The technical feasibility of this system is determined using TRNSYS and Polysun to see if the proposed system provide at least 60% solar fraction in all seasons, while economic analysis is conducted using Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) and discounted payback period. A pilot project was carried out for five households for demonstration, which showed that the heating demand of each house could be met by 40 different 15-tube solar collectors, resulting in energy savings of 2,28,000 kWh and reducing 25,423 kgs of CO2annually. The financial analysis revealed a BCR of 1.45 and a payback period of 14 years, showing that heat grid network is techno-economically viable for rural communities of Nepal.
- Published
- 2024
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