A Hybrid Solar-Wind Power

Generation system
 extensively used to illustrate electrical

concepts in hands-on laboratories and

demonstrations in the Industrial Technology

curriculum.

This paper describes an analysis of

local PV-wind hybrid systems for supplying

electricity to a private house, farmhouse or a

small company with electrical power

depending on the need at the site. The major

system components, work principle and

specific working condition are presented in

this paper.

Introduction

Energy has always played an

Abstract:
important role in human and economic
Due to intermittent natural energy
development and world peace. Since the
resources and energy resources seasonal un-
world economic resuscitation and boom,
balance, a PV-wind hybrid electrical power
world total energy annual consumption in
supply system was developed for many
2002 has increased, while fossil fuel (i.e.
remote locations where a conventional grid
coal, oil, natural gas) provided three quarters
connection is inconvenient or expensive.
of the total. At current energy consumption
While the hybrid system is also applicable
rate, proven coal reserves should last for
with grid connection, owners are allowed to
about 200 years, oil for approximately 40
sell excess electricity back to the electric
years and natural gas for around 60 years.
utility by using net meter.
With the contradiction between rapid
The set-up consists of a photo-voltaic
development and diminishing fossil fuel
solar-cell array, a mast mounted wind
resource, as well as to avoid pollutant
generator, lead-acid storage batteries, an
emissions or other environmental problems,
inverter unit to convert DC power to AC
and not to involve the resulting healthy
power, electrical lighting loads and electrical
hazard, we should consider the manner in
heating loads, several fuse and junction
which we produce and consume energy for
boxes and associated wiring, and test
sustainable development.
instruments for measuring voltages, currents,
Renewable energy, i.e., energy
power factors, and harmonic contamination
generated from solar, wind, biomass, geo-
data throughout the system. This hybrid
thermal, hydropower and ocean resources,
solar-wind power generating system is
could increases diversity of energy supplies contrast, in many developing countries,

and offer us clean energy beyond all doubt. especially in rural areas electricity grids are

The energy generated from wind and solar is often non- existent or rudimentary, and all

much less than the production by fossil fuels, forms of energy are usually very expensive.

however, electricity generation by utilizing PV Here the PV modules and wind turbine can be

cells and wind turbine increases rapidly highly competitive with other forms of energy

recent years, particularly in Germany, Japan, supply. However, the fact that natural energy

the U.S., and Denmark. resources are intermittent and storage

Photovoltaic (PV) cells are electronic batteries are expensive, has led to the

devices that are based on semiconductor utilization of so-called hybrid renewable

technology and can produce an electric energy systems. Any power system that

current directly from sunlight. The best incorporates two or more of the following is

silicon PV modules now available referred to as a hybrid power system: PV

commercially have an efficiency of over 17%, panels, wind turbines, or diesel, propane,

and it is expected that in about 10 years’ gasoline generators. For small loads, the

time module efficiencies will have raised to most common combinations are PV-wind

over 20%. hybrid system. PV and wind is good match,

Wind power is electricity produced by a because inland wind speeds tend to be lower

generator, which is drove by a turbine in summer, when solar energy can

according to aerodynamics in flowing air. compensate, and higher in winter, when

Wind power already becomes one of the sunshine falls to very low levels.

fastest growing renewable energy In this paper, a PV-wind hybrid system

technologies around the world, a total of will be presented that can supply electricity

31000MW of wind generating capacity had to a private house, farm house or a small

been installed by the end of 2002 that is company or a apartment house with

almost four times the capacity at the end of electrical power depending on the need at

1997. the site where used. The goal of this study is

PV modules and wind turbines are now to introduce the local PV-wind hybrid

widely used in developed countries to system’s working principle by reviewing one

produce electrical power in locations where case where the system is connected to the

it might be inconvenient or expensive to use grid.

conventional grid supplies, while other

homeowners who choose the renewable Special Issues of Wind turbines and Photo-

energy sources prefer to connect their Voltaic Cells

energy system to the grid as a huge ‘battery’ As the wind does not blow all the time

for some convenient grid-tied situation. In nor does the sun shine all the time, solar and
wind power alone are poor power sources. illustration of many topics traditionally

Hybridizing solar and wind power sources covered in power electronics classes.

together with storage batteries to cover the

periods of time without sun or wind provides System Analysis

a realistic form of power generation. This 1. Specific site conditions for PV-wind

variable feature of wind turbine power hybrid system

generation is different from conventional Intermittent natural energy resources

fossil fuel, nuclear, or hydro-based power and energy resources seasonal unbalance

generation. Wind energy has become the are the most important reason to install a

least expensive renewable energy technology hybrid energy supply system. The PV-wind

in existence and has peaked the interest of hybrid system suits to conditions where sun

scientists and educators the world over. light and wind has seasonal shifts i.e., in

summer the daytime is long and sun light is

Photovoltaic or PV cells, known commonly as strong enough, while in winter the days are

solar cells, convert the energy from sunlight shorter and there are more clouds, but there

into DC electricity. PVs offer added is usually an increased wind resource that

advantages over other renewable energy can complement the solar resource.

sources in that they give off no noise and The PV-wind hybrid systems

require practically no maintenance. PV cells especially suit the remote location, which is

are a familiar element of the scientific inconvenient or expensive to use

calculators owned by many students. Their conventional grid supplies. The common type

operating principles and governing is connecting with battery storage. For PV

relationships are unfortunately not as array, a true south direction without any

pedagogically simple as that of wind- obstacles facing the sun is needed. For the

turbines. However, they operate using the wind turbine, appropriate wind speed and

same semiconductor principles that govern wind direction are key element to whole

diodes and transistors and the explanation of system. The turbine should be mounded into

their functioning is straightforward and helps non-turbulent wind higher than trees and

to make more intuitive many of the principles without other obstacles. Enough space is

covered in semiconductor electronic classes. needed to site the PV modules, wind turbine

Most industrial uses of electricity require AC tower, and also to properly anchor the guy

power. Wind-turbines and PV cells provide DC wires.

power. A semiconductor-based device known 2. System Components

as a power inverter is used to convert the DC In general, a local cost-efficient, safe,

power to AC power. This device has a and durable PV-wind hybrid system is

relatively simple operation that is a vivid composed of the core part (PV modules and
wind turbine); PV modules mounting and wind DC-AC inverter changes low voltage direct

turbine tower; DC-AC inverter; safe current (DC) power, which is produced by the

equipment such as fuses, disconnects, and PV or wind turbine or stored in the battery

lighting arrestor; meters and into standard alternating current (AC) house

instrumentation; batteries, charge controller power that is 120 or 240 VAC, 50 or 60 hertz.

regulator and backup power resource for The “modern sine wave” Inverters supply

battery storage systems; and also connection uninterruptible power, i.e. there are no

wires, switching, and wall socket. blackouts or brownouts. The inverters come

Photovoltaic (PV) modules convert in sizes from 250 watts to over 8,000 watts.

sunlight into direct current (DC) electricity. While there are also "modified sine wave"

Modules can be wired together to form a PV inverters that are cheaper but can still

array that is wiring modules in series the handle most household tasks.

available voltage is increased and by wiring However, this type of inverter may create a

in parallel, the available current is increased. buzz in some electronic equipment and

However either way, the power produced is telephones, which can be an annoyance. The

the same since watts (power) equals voltage better sine wave inverters have made great

time amperes. A typical PV module measures strides in performance and price in recent

about 0.5 square meters (about 1.5 by 3.5 years. Inverters can also provide a utility

feet) and produces about 75 watts of DC inter-tie between your system and the utility

electricity in full sun. grid, allowing you to sell your excess energy

Wind turbine works the opposite of a fan. to the utility for distribution by their grid.

Instead of using electricity to make wind, like Many inverters also have built-in battery

a fan, wind turbines use wind to make chargers to keep your batteries topped off

electricity. Most turbines have either two or from either the grid or your generator.

three blades. These three-bladed wind PV modules mounting and wind turbine tower

turbines are operated "upwind," with the are engineered to withstand the PV modules

blades facing into the wind. The other and wind turbine. The PV modules mounting

common wind turbine type is the two-bladed, can be a ground mount that works either on

downwind turbine. The wind turns the blades, rooftops or the ground, or pole mount for

which spin a shaft, which connects to a getting them up in the air. Both are angle-

generator and makes electricity. Utility-scale adjustable so that PV array will face the sun

turbines range in size from 50 to 750 as near to perpendicular as possible. Many

kilowatts. Single small turbines, below 50 owners will adjust their mounting racks two

kilowatts, are used for homes, to four times a year to get maximum

telecommunications dishes, or water exposure as the sun changes its angle during

pumping. seasons. Or if the rooftop has a good angle to

the sun, the modules could be mounted in their batteries and also how much

solidly to the roof without an adjustable rack. electricity traffics between their own supply

Trackers are another PV mounting option, systems to the utility grid for grid connection

which are pole mounts that automatically situations. Some meters have more than one

adjust themselves so that the PV could face channel to monitor two battery banks or a

the sun throughout the day. Because the wind battery bank and a generating source for the

turbine should be mounded into non-turbulent hybrid systems.

wind, a tall enough wind turbine tower is Batteries store electrical energy produced by

needed (9 m above anything within 120 m). RE resource in a reversible chemical

And there should also be enough space to reaction. Most batteries employed in RE

properly anchor the guy wires. systems use the lead-acid batteries typically

Safe equipment includes over-current and encased in plastic and wired together in

lightning protection components. Over- series and parallel strings by the installer.

current protection components such as fuses However, batteries do not belong inside the

and fused disconnects protect the system's living space due to the dangerous chemicals

wiring and components in the event of short in them and hydrogen and oxygen gas put out

circuits. Fusing protects from over-current while being charged. Battery capacity is

situations, and disconnects allow safe rated in amp-hours, which 1 amp-hour is the

shutdown of system components for equivalent of drawing 1 amp steadily for one

maintenance and repair. Fuses and fused hour. A typical 12-volt system may have 800

disconnects are rated by the amount of amp-hours of battery capacity. This is the

current they can handle. They may be as equivalent of 1,200 watts for eight hours if

small as a few amperes for supplying fully discharged and starting from a fully

metering to as large as 400 amperes for charged state. There are many brands and

supplying the inverter. Many renewable types of batteries available for RE systems

energy systems are in areas where and the two most common batteries are the

thunderstorms and lightning are common, L-16 and golf cart sizes

especially; the wind turbine is always the Charge controller regulator prevents the PV

highest building in the remote area. array and wind turbine from over- charging

Commercial lightning arrestors are available the battery. Most modern controllers

to help protect RE system electronics maintain system voltage regulation

against the lightning. electronically by varying the width of DC

Meters and instrumentation can help owners pulses they send to the batteries (this is

keep track of important things like the called pulse width modulation or PWM). This

battery voltage, the amount of power they means the wider the pulse; the more power

are currently consuming, the state of charge goes to the batteries. Another category
called "shunt type" controllers divert excess to the first step. Load analysis lists and adds

energy into a "shunt load." This type of up all energy consumed by the owner’s

controller is more commonly used in wind or appliances. RE resource measurement

hydro systems, since these systems affects the system structure, efficiency, and

generally should not be run open circuit. cost. If the owner’s site matches the specific

Unlike a PV module, most wind and hydro site conditions for PV-wind hybrid system,

turbines cannot be switched on and off by then the design and installation of the

the controller. A new generation of PV system requires know-how and experience.

controllers has "maximum power point You can often benefit by having a good

tracking." They take advantage of the installing team of RE systems assisting you

maximum power available in the module by to site, design, and install your renewable

adjusting current and voltage. energy system

Backup power resource can come either from

a generator or from the utility grid when too

much energy is consumed or when there has

not been enough renewable energy coming

into the system. However, for the hybrid

system, the latter situation seems could be

avoid, and a considerable energy consuming

style might assist to solve the former

problem

Fig. 2. A simple Hybrid Solar & Wind System

Methodology

In order to address the shortcomings

of existing instructional techniques for

Fig.1. Steps for establishing a Hybrid Solar & electrical power systems, the system is
Wind Plant. designed and implemented with the following

goals:
3. System Establish Process  To be completely different from

The process of establishing the traditional electricity labs and to be

energy supply system (See Figure 1) is fresh and interesting.

extremely important step. Whichever system  To be intimately related to real world

will be installed, analyzing owner’s load and industrial power issues such as power

renewable energy resource of the site ought quality.

  To show a complex, interrelated stall mode, thus limiting the rotation

system that is closer to the “real speed of the alternator and preventing

world” than the usual simple systems damage in high kinds.

covered in educational labs.  Another feature of the wind turbine is

 To motivate learning by introducing a sophisticated internal regulator that

such elements as environmental and periodically checks the line voltage

economic concerns of practical and corrects for low voltage

interest to the students. conditions.

Establishment of a Wind/PV Hybrid Unit  The solar panels are 12 VDC/unit were

The hybrid unit contains two complete chosen for their ultra clear tempered

generating plants, a PV solar cell plant and a glass that is manufactured for long-

wind-turbine system. These sources are term durability. Figure 3 shows the DC

connected in parallel to a 120V AC line. voltage measured across the 12 volt

 The PV panel output is connected to a DC bus where the wind turbine and PV

DC to AC inverter and is then supplied arrays outputs are connected. A slight

from the inverter’s output to a single- ripple in power regulation can clearly

phase, 120 VAC load. The overall be seen. This ripple is a function of

project structure is presented in the unpredictable nature of sunshine

Figure 2. along with the dynamic effects of the

 The wind turbine is installed at the electrical load.

top of a steel tower that has a height

of 18.3 meters and a diameter of 8.9

cm.

 The instrumentation panel depicted

monitors the outputs of the generator

using digital panel meters. One of the

low maintenance features is the

turbine’s brush-less alternator and an

internal governor. The actual system’s Fig. 3. The DC voltage measured across each

pictures are shown in Figure 2. PV unit (12 V DC)

 The turbine’s blades are made of a  One of the largest problems in

carbon fiber reinforced composite systems containing power inverters is

that will intentionally deform as the power quality. This problem becomes

turbine reaches its rated output. This serious if the inverter used in the

deformation effect changes the shape system does not have a good

of the blade, causing it to go into a sinusoidal waveform output and

causes problems such as harmonic

 contamination and poor voltage Future Study

regulation. According to the IEEE (a Figure. 4. show the future direction of this

professional society which codifies project. A computer measurement and

such issues) standards, a maximum of control bus will be added to the system.

3 to 4% total harmonic distortion may Computer controlled relays will be added to

be allowed from inverter outputs. allow all the major elements of the system to

However, many inverter outputs have be switched in and out of the system through

much more harmonic distortion than computer programs. The measurement bus

is allowed. will be connected to all the major signals in

 To monitor and store the voltage, the system and will allow for computerizes

current, power, and harmonic data acquisition simultaneously of all the

contamination data, two power quality major signals in the system. These

analyzers (types 39 and 41) are used improvements will allow for the study

in the system. In addition, of more complex issues like power faults

permanently mounted AC/DC digital caused by sudden over voltages like

panel meters form part of the lightning. These improvements will also allow

system’s instrumentation. A laptop the same benefits to instruction realized in

computer is interfaced to the system electricity and electronics classes to be

via the power quality analyzers to extended to control and instrumentation

store data in real-time. classes.

 Voltage sags may cause a crucial

damage to high precision

measurement and protection devices,

especially computer equipment

present in many highly automated

industrial plants.

 The AC filter is a circuit made up of a

resistor (R), inductor (L), and a

capacitor (C). Such filters are

commonly installed in industrial

situations to remedy power quality

Fig. 4. Block Diagram of Future Research
problems.
Conclusions and Recommendations
 The inverter is of a six-pulse type and

the inverter and the control circuit

Obviously, a complete hybrid power
models are both standard models in
system of this nature may be too expensive
the PSCAD/EMTDC software package.
and too labor intensive for many Industrial
Technology Departments. However, many of Renewable Energy Energy

the same benefits could be gleaned from Technology (Physics).

having some subset of the system, for 2. Godfrey Boyle, Renewable energy:

example a PV panel, batteries, and an Power for a sustainable future,

inverter, or even just a PV panel and a DC Oxford University Press, 2004

motor. The enhancements to instruction, 3. Non Conventional Energy Sources,

especially in making electrical power C L Wadhwa

measurements more physical, intuitive, and

real world are substantial and the costs and

labor involved in some adaptation of the

ideas in this paper to a smaller scale setup

are reasonable.

The use of solar and wind hybrid power

generation is an especially vivid and relevant

choice for students of electrical Technology

as these are power sources of technological,

political, and economic importance in a

state. In other places, other power sources

could be used. For example hybrid

combinations of wind power, solar power,

geothermal power, hydroelectric power, tidal

power, biomass generated power, power from

incineration of solid wastes, and many other

technologies could be considered depending

on local interests and resources. The key

elements of this test bed concept presented

in this paper are two or more renewable

power sources connected to a power grid

with complex electrical interactions.

Reference:

1. LOCAL PHOTOVOLTAIC (PV)-WIND

HYBRID SYSTEMS WITH BATTERY

STORAGE OR GRID CONNECTION,

Yang, Dayu Master’s Programme in