Issue

Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025): February 2025 Issue

Performance, economics and sustainability of small wind energy conversion systems: an analysis using standard exergy and extended exergy accounting methods

Fidelis Abam
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
Oyongha Agbiji
Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
Obasi-sam Ojobe
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
Julius Idajor
Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Calabar, Calabar, Nigeria
Udochukwu Bola Akuru
Department of Electrical Engineering, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa

Corresponding Author(s) : Fidelis Abam

fidelisabam@unical.edu.ng

Future Energy, Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025): February 2025 Issue

Abstract

This study presents the performance, economics and sustainability indicators of wind energy conversion systems (WECS) using standard exergy and extended exergy accounting (EEA) methods. The objective was to generate operational, sustainability and economic data for various wind locations in Nigeria for different small WECS configurations. The data generated will inform investment and policy development as Nigeria transitions to cleaner energy sources. Results indicate that exergy destruction (ExD), physical exergy (ExPH) and exergy efficiency vary significantly across locations and WECS specifications. The lowest ExD values, observed with the Bergey XL.1 WECS, ranged from 1.351×106 to 5.67×106 MJ. Standard exergy efficiency fluctuated between 2.88 % and 5.97 %, with sustainability indicators reflecting moderate values. From the EEA breakdown, the maximum variation in physical exergy reached 4.97×107 MJ. In contrast, maximum efficiency was 2.99%, demonstrating an efficiency gap between locations and WECS between 0.45% and 29.3%. The low values based on EAA are attributed to excluding externalities in conventional methods. Cost per kW also varied across locations, with payback periods ranging from 3 to 5.7 years. The EEA method effectively provided realistic data to guide investment and policy decisions.

Keywords

Wind energy Exergy accounting Standard exergy Sustainability and efficiency
Abam, Fidelis, Oyongha Agbiji, Obasi-sam Ojobe, Julius Idajor, and Udochukwu Bola Akuru. 2025. “Performance, Economics and Sustainability of Small Wind Energy Conversion Systems: An Analysis Using Standard Exergy and Extended Exergy Accounting Methods”. Future Energy 4 (1):30-42. https://fupubco.com/fuen/article/view/255.
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