Optimal Design and Techno-Economic Analysis of Biogas-Based Hybrid Renewable Energy System for Rural Electrification in Sub-Saharan Africa: Case Study of Photovoltaic/Wind/Biogas/Battery System in Dala Zoulgo, Far North Cameroon

Hybrid renewable energy systems (HRESs) are an effective tool for addressing rural electrification challenges in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). However, standalone renewable configurations often suffer from intermittency and limited dispatchability, particularly in remote areas with restricted grid access. This study examines the integration of a bi-ogas generator into a PV/wind turbine/battery hybrid system for the electrification of Dala Zoulgo, a remote village in Far North Cameroon, to meet residential, community, and agricultural electricity needs while minimizing cost of energy, net present cost, and CO2 emissions. HOMER Pro was used to simulate and techno-economically compare multiple configurations, with and without biogas integration. The optimal architecture combined a 65.4 kW of photovoltaic array, one wind turbine, a 75-kW biogas generator, and 50 battery storage units under a load-following dispatch strategy, with a net present cost and levelized cost of energy of USD 1.17M and USD 0.340/kWh, respectively, out-performing configurations without biogas or with different renewable combinations. Sensitivity analysis showed biogas integration remains optimal across most of the bio-mass price-availability range tested, while wind speed is the most influential resource parameter on system cost. These results demonstrate that locally available biogas re-sources can improve the techno-economic and socio-environmental viability of hybrid renewable energy systems, offering a replicable pathway for rural electrification in similar off-grid contexts across SSA.