| Summary: | This study focuses on eight remote communities in northern Canada, and explores strategies for using variable speed engines in order to reduce their dependence on diesel for electricity generation. The analysis compares traditional fixed-speed diesel generators with new variable-speed generators in their capacity to integrate renewable energies (PV and wind) into off-grid communities, while ensuring that generator underloading occurs less than 5% of the time during operation. Then, the reduction in diesel consumption is examined assuming communities were to adopt PV energy in one scenario and PV combined with batteries in another. Real data from a photovoltaic and battery system in Old Crow was used as a model, allowing for solar spillage to prevent generator underloading. To simulate these scenarios, a Simulink model was used, featuring three types of generation (wind, solar, and diesel) that power a load representing the consumption of each community. Voltage drops, losses, potential instabilities, or transients related to off- grid operation were not considered. The results indicate that, depending on the community, variable-speed generators enable the integration of 8% to 22% more renewable energy compared to fixed-speed generators (FSGs). Furthermore, installing the maximum renewable power with an FSG (without underloading the FSG more than 5% of the time) can result in an average annual diesel savings of 20%, while this figure increases to 24% for Variable-Speed Generators (VSGs). Finally, the study compares the base case without renewable energy to the installation of PV, resulting in an average annual saving of diesel of 33%, and for PV combined with energy storage systems (ESS), the reduction increases to 37%. Outgoing
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