Techno-Economic Assessment of Photovoltaic, Wind, and Hybrid Systems in Residential-Scale Islanded Microgrids Using HOMER Pro

A Comparative Study Based on HOMER Pro Simulations

Abstract

In this study, islanded hybrid renewable energy systems developed to supply a residential electricity demand are evaluated from both technical and economic perspectives for the province of Yalova. Within the scope of the analysis, three different system configurations are modeled using the same load profile and identical climatic data: photovoltaic-based, wind energy–based, and integrated photovoltaic–wind hybrid systems. All configurations are supported by a diesel generator and battery energy storage system and are simulated at an hourly resolution using HOMER Pro software. System performance is compared in terms of total system cost, levelized cost of energy, renewable energy contribution, diesel fuel consumption, and generator operating characteristics. The results indicate that photovoltaic-dominated configurations stand out in terms of cost-effectiveness, whereas hybrid systems combining photovoltaic and wind energy significantly reduce fossil fuel dependency. Wind-dominated systems are found to be less favorable due to higher investment requirements and limited economic returns. The findings highlight that, in residential-scale microgrid design, system selection should consider not only economic criteria but also sustainability and energy supply security objectives.