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The Cameroon power sector is currently undergoing a period of transition with government setting ambitions to increase the generation of clean electricity to meet the rapidly growing demand. A significant aspect of this transition is the phasing out of some thermal plants and supporting power generation with renewables. This can be achieved through the heavy exploitation of the renewable energy resources in the country. In line with this goal, the study assesses the feasibility of a 211.75 MW solar PV power plant in Yaounde, Cameroon using RETScreen Expert. The simulation showed an annual electricity production of 304,668.191 MWh with arrays mounted on a fixed axis. The model considered a debt ratio of 40%, debt interest rate of 12%, PV cost per kW of $1371 and a total system initial cost of $291,791,500. The annual revenue from exporting power to the grid was $36,560,183 and a capacity factor of 16.4%. The solar PV project was economically viable with a cost of energy (COE) of $75.43/MWh or $0.075/kWh and a gross annual GHG emission reduction potential of 61,004.5 tCO 2 corresponding to 141,870.9 barrels of crude oil not used throughout the project life time. The benefit-cost ratio obtained in the simulation was 4.5 which implies that the project is profitable (ratio is greater than 1). The project break-even point of equity payback was 9.2 years while the simple payback was 8.9 years. The PV system had an IRR-assets of 7.4%, which was below the debt interest rate of Cameroonian financial institutions hence, the project will be attractive to investors. Also, the project risk and sensitivity analysis showed that a reduction in the project's initial cost had a significant effect on the net present value (NPV) and the cost of energy production. Similarly, a rise in the grid electricity export reduced the cost of energy production when the confidence level was set to 90%.

This paper presents a comprehensive techno‐economic assessment framework for grid‐connected photovoltaic systems, integrating a binary genetic algorithm (BGA) optimization with detailed simulation tools. The study addresses optimal siting and sizing of two solar plants (865 and 739 kWp) in Karaj, Iran, using MATLAB for BGA implementation, PVsyst for system performance analysis, and RETScreen for economic evaluation. Compared to conventional hybrid genetic‐analytical algorithm (GA‐IA), the proposed BGA achieved 9.9% lower power losses (0.146 vs. 0.162 MW) and superior voltage profile enhancement. Technical simulations demonstrated robust system performance with annual average PRs of 84.4% and 83.4%, yielding energy productions of 1725.5 and 1458.6 MWh for the Site1 and Site2, respectively. Economic analysis under a feed‐in tariff of $0.0361/kWh revealed attractive financial indicators, including internal rates of return of 23.8%–25.9% and payback periods (PBPs) of 4.9–5 years. Environmental assessment showed significant emission reduction potential of 16,563–13,943 tons CO₂ over 20 years, while grid integration analysis confirmed peak load reduction of 1.46 MW during critical demand periods. This research provides valuable insights for renewable energy planning, offering a validated methodology for sustainable power system development in regions with high solar potential.

This study aimed to analyze and evaluate the influence of array losses on the financial sustainability and economic viability of wind farm projects with a capacity of 100 MW. The Al-Fajer site has been proposed for a feasibility study to assess the viability of building an onshore wind farm. The assessment of investment costs was conducted using the RETScreen program. The findings demonstrated that alterations in array losses impact the amount of energy exported to the grid, influencing changes in revenue, pre-tax internal rate of return (IRR), and net present value (NPV). When array losses in (case 1) decrease by 2%, that will positively impact financial feasibility factors. Therefore, it will lead to a gain in income for all turbines; the net present value (NPV) and pre-tax internal rate of return (IRR) values experienced an increase, indicating a positive impact on the project’s profitability. When array losses in (case 2) increase by 2%, it will lead to negative results on the wind farm and, thus, reduce the energy exported to the grid; wind turbine revenue will experience a decline. This increase substantially affects the NPV and IRR, leading to decreases. The capacity factor experienced a drop, resulting in significant changes to the project’s financial returns. The levelized cost of energy (LCOE) has increased due to decreased production, leading to higher prices. The simple payback likewise experienced a boost beyond its usual norms.

Global interest in using biomass feedstock to produce heat and power is increasing. In this study, RETScreen modelling software was used to investigate the feasibility of biomass heating system in Middle East Technical University, Northern Cyprus Campus. Weiss Kessel Multicratboiler system with 2 MW capacity using rice straw biomass as fuel and 10 units of RBI® CB0500 boilers with 144 kW capacity using natural gas as fuel were selected for the proposed biomass heating system. The total cost of the biomass heating project is US$ 786,390. The project has a pre-tax and after tax internal rate of return (IRR) of 122.70%, simple payback period of 2.54 years, equity payback period of 0.83 year, a net present value of US$ 3,357,138.29, an annual lifecycle savings of US$ 262,617.91, a benefit-cost ratio of 21.83, an electricity cost of $0/kWh and a GHG reduction cost of −204.66 $/tCO₂. The annual GHG emission reduction is 1,283.2 tCO₂, which is equivalent to 118 hectares of forest absorbing carbon. The development and adoption of this renewable energy technology will save costs on buying conventional type of heating system and result in a large technical and economic potential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions which will satisfy the sustainable development goals.

Currently, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine could have an impact on the EU region’s energy-dependent relationships. This study lays out a strategy for luring energy corporate investors to make investments in clean energy technology, thereby helping to mitigate the effects of global warming caused by wood burning while also advancing the regional long-term technological development and energy sustainability. On the other hand, we assessed the financial, technological, and environmental elements of suggested energy plans for the country using RETScreen simulation. We used a NASA satellite database to evaluate the climate data of the proposed site, and the local currency, the Euro, was used to assess the financial viability. In addition, our analysis encouraged policymakers, energy operators, entrepreneurs, and energy industry stakeholders to invest in green technology innovation. The research details the technical analysis and optimal orientation for installing solar arrays in the Porto/Pedras Rubras area, as well as discussing the architecture of a 100 MW grid-connected solar photovoltaic system. Financial, carbon emission, and risk analyses of the proposed system are also presented in this study. There are a number of other significant benefits to this study as well. It makes the state less reliant on volatile energy markets in other countries and shows how to get long-term energy security. Second, the RETScreen results inspired business owners and other stakeholders to make investments in green technologies.

This research was funded by Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, grant number RTI2018-098900-B-I00 and the Regional Government of Castilla y León under the “Support Program for Recognized Research Groups of Public Universities of Castilla y León” (ORDEN EDU/667/2019) and “Health and Safety Program” (INVESTUN/19/BU/0004).

This paper investigated the potential and economic validity of wind and solar energy at 17 selected locations in the Red Sea state, Sudan, for the first time. To this aim, the NASA database was utilized. The results demonstrated that vertical axis wind turbines would be a good solution for electricity generation for building in the selected locations. Additionally, it is found that the chosen areas are suitable for installing photovoltaic (PV) systems due to the high-value solar radiation. Moreover, the economic viability of small-scale wind and PV systems for rooftop buildings in the selected regions is investigated. For a financial analysis of wind turbines, the performance of different characteristics of vertical axis winds was evaluated based on the determination of capacity factor and energy production cost. For the economic validity of installing PV systems, RETScreen Expert software was used. The results indicate that the annual production energy from wind turbines and solar power is within the range of 158.50–29,063.93kWh and 6648–15,533 kWh, respectively. This amount of energy output would reduce the effect of global warming and enhance the sustainable technological development of the country. Moreover, the results indicate that model#9 (Vertical Axis Wind Generator-V) with a capacity of 5 kW has the lowest cost value (0.08703–0.01025 $/kWh) compared to the other selected turbines for the studied locations. Besides, the average energy production cost is within the range of 0.036–0.049 $/kWh for PV systems. In the end, it is concluded that using small-scale renewable energy systems will help reduce the electricity bills and the dependency on fossil fuels, the effect of global warming, and enhance the country’s sustainable technological development.

The current global context, marked by crises such as climate change, the pandemic, and the depletion of fossil fuel resources, underscores the urgent need to minimize waste. Cogeneration technology, which enables simultaneous production of electricity and thermal energy from electricity generation waste, offers a promising solution to enhance energy efficiency. Its widespread adoption, particularly in the European Union, where several cogeneration systems are in place, demonstrates its growing popularity. Italy alone has 1865 high-efficiency cogeneration units, contributing significantly to total cogeneration energy generation. Micro-cogeneration, specifically, has attracted attention for its potential to reduce energy waste and environmental impact. This study focuses on assessing the technical and financial feasibility of a micro-cogeneration plant using natural gas-fuelled internal combustion engines, considering different scenarios of plant operating strategies in order to optimize energy production, minimize waste, and mitigate environmental footprints associated with conventional methods. Additionally, it provides valuable guidance for policymakers, industry stakeholders, and decision-makers invested in sustainable energy solutions. By advancing micro-cogeneration technology, this study aims to promote a more sustainable and environmentally conscious approach to energy production. The methodology applied is based on the development of a numerical model via RETScreen Expert 8 and it was calibrated with one-year energy bills. The study was performed by focusing on the analysis of the annual energy savings, greenhouse gas emission savings, tonnes of oil equivalents savings, and financial parameters such as Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), Profitability Index (PI) and Payback time (PBT). The results show, using a micro-cogeneration system in a big complex of buildings, that the financial parameters can continually increase with the plant’s capacity with the electrical load following, but with a loss of the recovered heat from the cogenerator because it may reach values that are not necessary for the users. When the thermal load variation is much more significant than the electrical load variation, it will be useful to design the plant to follow the thermal load variation which allows the full utilization of the thermal and energy production from the plant without any waste energy and choosing a system capacity that can optimize the energy, emissions and financial aspects.

Fossil fuels are the primary energy sources of China, which are not only expensive but have adverse environmental impacts. To cope with this situation, the Chinese government wants to fulfil 25% of its energy consumption by non-fossil fuels by 2030. In this perspective, we selected the solar sources of the country and collected solar irradiation data for one year in the six big cities of China in 2022. For the analysis of data and assessing the effectiveness of photovoltaic (PV), RETScreen and MATLAB were utilized. A further step was taken by performing the life cycle assessment (LCA) to scrutinize the different features of solar energy, including fuel consumption, price, average lifetime, maintenance and operation expenses, land requirements, and greenhouse gas emissions. Results reveal that all these cities have enormous solar power potential. However, the highest solar power (0.27 kW) is generated in Nanchang city, while the lowest power (0.21 kW) is generated in Sanya city. Solar energy is durable and has a good average lifespan but can be costly, as PV panels lose efficiency due to dust and pollution. The regular cleaning of PV panels, in turn, demands substantial cost. Based on research results, significant policy suggestions have been recommended to fulfil the country’s energy demand on its way to a future of sustainable development.

The implementation of hybrid renewable energy and thermal energy storage systems (HRETESSs) in greenhouses holds great promise in terms of greenhouse gas emission reduction, enhanced efficiency, and reliability of agricultural operations. In this study, numerical and experimental studies were conducted on a greenhouse integrated with HRETESSs in South Korea. The system consisted of solar thermal (ST) collectors, photovoltaic thermal (PVT) collectors, thermal energy storage, and heat pump systems. The performance analysis of the HRETESSs in various locations across South Korea was conducted using a validated TRNSYS model, which was calibrated through experimental measurements. RETscreen software was utilized to perform the techno-economic evaluation of the HRETESSs. Across all the cities studied, the HRETESSs achieved an average contribution of 43% and 20% toward meeting the thermal and electrical loads, respectively, resulting in an annual gross reduction of 4326–5157 tons of CO2. Moreover, the heat injection into the borehole thermal energy storage (BTES) from the ST and PVT collectors increases the contribution of the BTES to the greenhouse load.