EVALUATING THE ECONOMIC POSSIBILITY AND SUSTAINABILITY OF RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES FOR CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT: FEDERAL POLYTECHNIC BAUCHI AS CASE STUDY

The growing energy demand of higher educational institutions, coupled with unreliable grid electricity supply, increasing energy expenditure, and environmental concerns associated with fossil-fuel-based generation, has created the need for sustainable and economically feasible energy alternatives. This study evaluates the economic possibility and sustainability of renewable-energy integration for campus development using Federal Polytechnic Bauchi as a case study. The study adopted an integrated assessment framework comprising campus energy-demand characterization, solar resource assessment, photovoltaic (PV) system sizing, battery-storage estimation, financial feasibility analysis, and environmental-impact assessment. The estimated campus electricity requirement was approximately 16,160 kWh/day. For consistency with the stated annual demand of 5.82 GWh/year, the annual figure was treated as the study's planning baseline because 16,160 kWh/day mathematically corresponds to about 5.90 GWh/year. A 2 MW solar PV system coupled with 5.4 MWh battery storage was therefore proposed. The assessment estimated annual PV electricity generation of approximately 2.95 GWh and annual electricity-cost savings of about ₦872 million (US$545,000), against a capital investment of ₦4.32 billion (US$2.7 million). The resulting simple payback period is approximately 5 years, equivalent to an indicative simple annual return of 20%. The system was also estimated to avoid about 2,067 tons of CO2 emissions annually. The findings indicate that campus-scale solar PV with battery storage can provide a technically feasible, financially attractive, and environmentally responsible pathway for reducing dependence on conventional electricity sources. A phased implementation strategy combining renewable-energy investment, energy-efficiency measures, battery management, monitoring, and long-term maintenance is recommended.