OPTIMAL SIZING OF HYBRID RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS FOR ALGERIAN MUNICIPALITIES: AN INTEGRATED HOMER PRO AND MATHEMATICAL FRAMEWORK

Abstract

Algeria's commitment to a 27% renewable share in national electricity generation by 2030 places substantial pressure on local and municipal authorities to operationalise clean energy transitions at the sub-national level. This paper presents a comprehensive techno-economic and mathematical analysis of a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) designed for a representative Algerian municipality. Using HOMER Pro simulation software, we evaluate four system configurations namely, photovoltaic /diesel/ battery (PV-DG-B), photovoltaic/ wind/ battery (PV-WT-B), photovoltaic/wind/diesel/battery (PV-WT-DG-B), and a grid-connected PV hybrid under real climatic conditions of the semi-arid Algerian highlands. Optimal sizing is further validated through deterministic mathematical models, including net present cost (NPC) minimisation, levelised cost of energy (LCOE) derivation, and a multi-objective optimisation framework integrating reliability constraints (LPSP ≤ 2%) and carbon reduction targets. Our obtained results indicate that the PV-WT-DG-B configuration achieves the lowest NPC of USD 412,800, an LCOE of 0.089 USD/kWh, a renewable fraction of 87.4%, and a CO₂ reduction of 78.3 tonnes/year compared to a diesel-only baseline. Our study connects physical energy findings to local governance discourse, examining how municipal administrations communes (APC) and state-level energy offices can leverage such modelling to formulate data-driven energy action plans (EAPs) in alignment with Algeria's National Renewable Energy Programme (PNER) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 7 and 13). Our study contributes to the emerging discourse on energy decentralisation and green municipal governance by providing evidence-based insights for local policymaking in North African settings.