{
  "abstract": "This study presents a detailed one-year comparative economic analysis of diesel generator versus low-cost solar microgrid operation for a typical household in Khartoum, Sudan under conditions of prolonged grid failure. Field data and utility reports indicate that grid outages in Khartoum now extend to 16-18 hours per day following the destruction of the Al-Markhiyat substation and damage to the Merowe Dam power station, with national generation falling from 4,400 MW to 1,100 MW. The analysis compares two scenarios for meeting a critical load of 5 kWh per day. Scenario A: 3 kW diesel generator consuming 0.8 liters per hour at current Khartoum diesel price of $1.2 per liter, operating 12 hours daily. Annual fuel cost $4,204, maintenance $600, total $4,804. Scenario B: Proposed solar microgrid with 2x550W PV, 5 kWh LiFePO4 battery, 3 kW hybrid inverter costing $850 CAPEX with $20 annual maintenance. Using IRENA data on 93% battery cost decline and 87% solar PV cost decline since 2010, and UN data of 4,000+ sunshine hours in Sudan, results show solar achieves 82.3% annual savings, payback in 2.1 months, and ten-year net present value of $39,190 savings. Sensitivity analysis shows diesel remains uneconomical even if fuel price drops 50%. The study concludes that continued diesel reliance imposes severe financial burden on households already spending $200 per month, while solar microgrid offers sustainable resilience pathway aligning with World Bank goals for 30% of population without access.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 1,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "Mugtaba Alfaki"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7rd9v66122hte.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.5281/zenodo.23676099",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "7rd9v66122hte",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://zenodo.org/records/23676099",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "licence_label": "CC BY 4.0",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [],
  "openalex": null,
  "pdf_url": "https://zenodo.org/api/records/23676099/files/Comparative_Economic_Analysis_of_Diesel_Generator_vs_Solar_Microgrid.pdf/content",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-26",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7rd9v66122hte.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-09T12:20:40Z",
      "native_id": "23676099",
      "source": "zenodo",
      "url": "https://zenodo.org/records/23676099"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [],
  "title": "Comparative Economic Analysis of Diesel Generator vs Solar Microgrid Operation in Khartoum: Annual Cost Assessment Under Extended Grid Outages",
  "title_text": "Comparative Economic Analysis of Diesel Generator vs Solar Microgrid Operation in Khartoum: Annual Cost Assessment Under Extended Grid Outages",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-09T12:20:40Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/7rd9v66122hte",
  "venue": "Zenodo",
  "versions": []
}