Techno-Economic Analysis of a Grid-Connected PV/Biomass Hybrid Energy System for an Olive Facility in Manisa

Rising energy costs and the pressure to erase carbon footprints are forcing agro-industrial facilities to generate their own power. The Aegean Region serves as an ideal laboratory for hybrid systems due to both high solar irradiation and biomass waste from olive production. Focusing on an olive processing facility in Medar Neighborhood, Akhisar district of Manisa, this analysis develops a grid-connected model optimizing the facility's energy profile. The energy demand was analyzed in two phases: year-round low-intensity administrative loads and industrial loads peaking only during the harvest season (September-December). In simulations conducted with HOMER Pro, a 10 kW biomass generator converting waste pomace into fuel and 5 kW photovoltaic panels were integrated into the system. The obtained data prove that the hybrid setup supplies 95.2% of the total consumption from renewable sources. In the economic projection, the Net Present Cost (NPC) materialized at -$460.76, while the Levelized Cost of Energy (LCOE) was calculated as -$0.00144/kWh thanks to grid sales revenues. The system amortizes itself in a short period of 5.97 years, offering a structure that generates profit for the facility and neutralizes carbon emissions over its remaining 19-year lifespan.