Renewable energy options for the electrification of rural schools in Argentina

This paper evaluates different renewable energy options for the provision of basic electricity services to rural schools in the Argentine province of Buenos Aires. The renewable energy systems being considered, wind, photovoltaic (PV) and hybrid (win/PV) are used to charge batteries. The life cycle cost of each system is calculated by determining the net present value of the costs of replacing components and O&M during the life of the system. The system`s performance of different size components and battery configuration is examined using the HYBRID 1.1.1 model. The performance of different systems is then compared to their corresponding life cycle costs.