Himalay Baidya, Zahir Khan Dipta, Arham Zaman Alif, Md Tarak Rahman Zisan
The rapid growth of tourism has increased the demand for reliable and sustainable energy solutions, particularly in regions where hospitality and transport sectors are closely connected. Although tourism supports economic development, it contributes significantly to greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuel dependence. The adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) offers a cleaner alternative but adds new challenges by increasing electricity demand and straining local infrastructure. This study evaluates the techno-economic and environmental feasibility of a hybrid renewable energy system (HRES) designed to simultaneously supply power to an electric vehicle charging station (EVCS) and a large-scale hotel in a tourism-intensive area of Bangladesh. Using HOMER Grid software, a grid-connected HRES integrating solar photovoltaics (PV), wind turbines (WT), and inverter was modeled. The optimal system configuration comprises 250 kW PV, 600 kW WT, and 160 kW inverter, delivering a renewable energy fraction of 80.7 % and electricity at a levelized cost of $0.0578/kWh. Compared to the existing grid-only system, the proposed setup offers annual utility savings of $97,891 and a net present cost of $1.19 million. The system export 922,980 KWh of surplus electricity annually while reducing CO₂ emissions by 341.43 tons. The EVCS can support 32,383 charging sessions yearly, delivering 317,277 kWh. Sensitivity analysis reveals that increasing EV charging prices from $0.07 to $0.10/kWh reduces the net present cost by up to 10.08 % and lowers the annual operating cost by approximately 461.56 %. The findings indicate HRES can effectively support low-carbon tourism by cutting emissions, reducing costs, and easing grid stress.