ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Energy Res.
Sec. Energy Storage
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fenrg.2025.1654615
Techno-Economic Optimization of Battery Storage Technologies for Off-Grid Hybrid Microgrids in Multiple Rural Locations of Bangladesh
Provisionally accepted
- 1Pabna University of Science & Technology, Pabna, Bangladesh
- 2Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, Rajshahi, Bangladesh
- 3Griffith University, Brisbane, Australia
- 4Multimedia University, Malacca, Malaysia
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Rural communities in Bangladesh face persistent energy access challenges due to geographic isolation and inadequate infrastructure. This study investigates the design and optimization of off-grid hybrid renewable energy systems for five distinct rural locations, utilizing solar photovoltaic (PV), wind turbines (WT), and four types of battery energy storage systems (BESS): ZnBr Flow, Li-Ion NMC, Lead-Acid, and LiFePO₄. Using HOMER Pro (version 3.14.2), simulations were performed based on real hourly load profiles and resource data (solar irradiance, wind speed, and temperature) from NASA. Each system configuration was assessed for economic feasibility, renewable energy penetration, and environmental impact. Results show that the PV-WT-ZnBr Flow battery configuration outperformed others at all sites, achieving the lowest Net Present Cost (NPC) of $171,720, Cost of Energy (COE) of $0.0688/kWh, and 100% Renewable Fraction (RF) with zero carbon emissions. ZnBr Flow batteries demonstrated high efficiency, long lifespan (30 years), and low maintenance requirements. Sensitivity analysis revealed the influence of resource variability, load profiles, and component costs. This study confirms that ZnBr-based hybrid microgrids offer a viable, cost-effective, and scalable solution for sustainable rural electrification in Bangladesh and other remote or underdeveloped regions worldwide.
Keywords: Hybrid renewable energy system (HRES), Battery energy storage system (BESS), Techno-economic optimization, Off-grid electrification, ZnBr flow battery
Received: 26 Jun 2025; Accepted: 11 Aug 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Ali, Biswas, Sheikh, Al Mamun and Hossen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Md. Feroz Ali, Pabna University of Science & Technology, Pabna, Bangladesh
Md Jakir Hossen, Multimedia University, Malacca, Malaysia
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.