Hybrid Renewable Energy Systems for Small-Scale Applications (Published)
Hybrid renewable energy systems have become a suitable solution towards delivery of high consistency and sustainable power in small scale systems especially in rural and off-grid locations. Such systems combine several renewable energy sources like solar photovoltaic, wind turbines and small-scale hydro/biomass systems to increase the reliability of the energy and decrease the reliance on fossil fuels. An integration of a set of energy storage systems with a set of smart energy management systems increases stability and efficiency of the system even more. This paper includes an evaluation of hybrid renewable energy structures that are developed to be applicable in small scale using performance, reliability, cost-efficiency, and environmental advantages. The analysis assesses system aspects such as generators of renewable energy, storage units, and power conditioning units. The important performance indicators are discussed: energy efficiency, system reliability and levelized cost of electricity. The findings prove that hybrid systems have a major positive impact on the stability of power supplies as compared to the single-source renewable systems. Moreover, hybrid renewable systems will help to minimize greenhouse gas emissions and improve access to energy in isolated communities. The research points out the significance of appropriate system design, optimization, and energy management plans to maximize the performance in the small-scale energy.
Keywords: Hybrid renewable energy, energy storage systems, off-grid energy systems., small-scale power generation, solar photovoltaic