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Techno‐Economic Evaluation of a Hybrid Renewable Energy System for a Sustainable Health Clinic

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Natural Resources Forum

Published online on

Abstract

["Natural Resources Forum, EarlyView. ", "\nABSTRACT\nAccess to reliable electricity is essential for health clinics, particularly in arid and tropical regions, to ensure continuous medical services and improve community well‐being. This study investigates the feasibility of a hybrid renewable energy system combining solar and wind resources for sustainable production and consumption of electricity in a health clinic in Al‐Kharj, Saudi Arabia. Using HOMER software, multiple configurations integrating photovoltaic panels, a wind turbine, battery storage, a converter, and a backup generator were analyzed and optimized for technical and economic performance. The results revealed that the site receives sufficient solar radiation and wind speed to meet the clinic's energy demand. Among the evaluated options, the photovoltaic‐wind hybrid system demonstrated the most favorable performance, achieving a net present cost of $297,688.3 and a levelized cost of energy of $0.2894/kWh, outperforming other system configurations. Considering the quest for a greener environment, the PV‐WT energy system was selected as the best energy system to meet the needs of the health clinic in the city. Economic assessment further indicated that this system delivers the highest return on investment of 31.4% over its lifetime, confirming its efficiency and long‐term viability. These findings establish that the photovoltaic‐wind hybrid system is the most suitable and sustainable solution to provide reliable electricity for the health clinic while supporting stakeholder engagement in achieving environmentally friendly energy goals.\n"]