Deep Electrification and Renewable Energy in a Remote Canadian Community ...

• Main Author: Priyanka, Tazrin Jahan
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: University of Alberta Library 2023
• Subjects: Chipewyan; Fort Chipewyan
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.7939/r3-rwsz-xf27; https://era.library.ualberta.ca/items/1f2e6dc9-5ae8-447f-a479-7d366e921234

This study examines high-penetration of renewable energy options for Fort Chipewyan (an off-grid community in northern Alberta, Canada). This analysis goes beyond modelling hybrid diesel-renewable electricity supply, to also consider deep electrification scenarios that not only aim to electrify the community’s heating and transportation energy demands, which can almost triple the average 35 MWh/day electricity load in a highly seasonal manner. HOMER Pro software was used to create seven different electricity use scenarios, and the outcomes were compared to optimize hybrid renewable energy technologies including solar PV, wind turbines, batteries, and hydrogen fuel cells to meet forecast electricity demand. Sensitivity analyses were conducted to verify the effects of factors such as solar radiation, wind speed, the capital cost of solar PV and wind turbines, diesel prices, and CO2 penalty cost on the cost of electricity (COE). While the community has already installed 2.6 MW of solar PV in 2019, this research ...