Turk J Elec Eng & Comp Sci (2015) 23: 1735 – 1747 c ⃝ T ¨ UB ˙ ITAK doi:10.3906/elk-1404-228 Turkish Journal of Electrical Engineering & Computer Sciences http://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/elektrik/ Research Article An economic and environmental analysis of biomass-solar hybrid system for the textile industry in India Mahadevan MAHALAKSHMI ∗ , Salai LATHA Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, Thiagarajar College of Engineering, Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India Received: 14.04.2014 • Accepted/Published Online: 17.03.2015 • Printed: 30.11.2015 Abstract: This paper focuses on the design and analysis of a hybrid biomass-solar photovoltaic system for the textile industry with the goal of minimizing the cost and greenhouse gas emissions. The feasibility analysis of the hybrid system is performed based on the resource availability and the power generation potential of the existing biomass power plant near the textile plant at T.Kallupatti in Tamil Nadu, India. The power plant located at the site (9.66 ◦ N, 77.79 ◦ E) has an average daily global horizontal irradiance of 4.86 kWh/m 2 , which has been validated through NASA Surface Meteorology and Solar Energy data. The chosen site also has adequate biomass fuel availability. The biomass feedstock fuel price varies from $38.5 to $42 per ton on average for the fuels juliflora, bagasse, coconut shell, paddy husk, etc., which are purchased from nearby villages of the chosen region. The comparative analysis of grid-alone, standalone biomass-solar hybrid, and grid connected biomass-solar hybrid systems is performed using HOMER 2.81 software. In particular, an economic and environmental evaluation of the hybrid system is carried out based on the results of the optimization of biomass feedstock combination for maximum power output using the Neural Network toolbox of MATLAB 2010a. The results prove the effectiveness of the stand-alone solar-biomass hybrid system for the textile industry in terms of cost combined with emission reductions. Key words: Biomass-solar hybrid system, HOMER simulation, biomass feedstock optimization, economic evaluation, carbon credit 1. Introduction The day-by-day increasing energy consumption and the decreasing accessibility of conventional energy sources have led to a hike in the price of electricity. Hence, the principal aim of most of the countries in the world is to provide a reliable, cost-effective, environmentally friendly and affordable supply of electrical energy. Renewable energy (RE) sources like wind, solar, biomass, and fuel cells have been getting more prominent attention in the recent years. In India, solar, wind, and biomass are the most preferred renewable energy sources, particularly in Tamil Nadu, because of the availability of enormous resources [1,2]. Tamil Nadu has reasonably high solar insolation (5.6–6.0 kWh/m 2 ) with around 300 clear sunny days in a year and has also announced its State Solar Energy Policy with a target of 3000 MW up to year 2015 with the addition of 1000 MW capacity each year starting from 2013. The current availability of biomass of India is estimated to be 500 × 10 6 t per year. In Tamil Nadu, the estimated power generation potential from surplus biomass is 487 MW according to a district- level study carried out by Anna University and the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy Funding. There ∗ Correspondence: mmahalakshmi36@gmail.com 1735