Nakhai, Aryana
(2021)
Techno-Economic Analysis of a PV-Battery Water Pumping Microgrid System for Off-Grid Rural Communities in the United States: Case Study of the Navajo Nation.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
Lack of access to running water has been a pressing issue in many developing countries across the world; however, it is also a problem in the United States. Today, more than two million Americans living in rural areas lack access to basic water supply and infrastructure. Rural communities tend to be located in environmentally fragile areas with poor economic conditions, making access to appropriate, low-cost technology for clean water supply and sanitation more challenging. In addition, many of the water resources located in these areas are being jeopardized by climate change in recent years. This research proposes a photovoltaic (PV)-battery microgrid system for powering water pumps in off-grid areas in efforts to identify an economical and technologically feasible solution to the water issues faced by these communities. Utilizing the HOMER Pro software, developed by the U.S. National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), the case of the Navajo Nation is examined by analyzing the effects of this region’s air temperature on the life and performance of battery storage and the economics of the proposed microgrid system. This research is intended to serve as a guide for rural off-grid communities in addressing their pressing water availability crisis, which is even more exacerbated by the erosion of surface water flows due to climate change.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
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| Date: |
26 January 2021 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
2 November 2020 |
| Approval Date: |
26 January 2021 |
| Submission Date: |
29 September 2020 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
54 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Swanson School of Engineering > Electrical and Computer Engineering |
| Degree: |
MS - Master of Science |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
microgrid, water pumping, rural, climate change, temperature effects, battery storage, PV, diesel, lead acid |
| Date Deposited: |
26 Jan 2021 19:50 |
| Last Modified: |
26 Jan 2021 19:50 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/39766 |
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