Affiliation: | aLaboratory of Soft Energy Applications and Environmental Protection, TEI of Piraeus, P.O. Box 41046, Athens 12201, Greece bOptimisation of Production Systems Laboratory, Mechanical Engineering Department, TEI of Piraeus, P.O. Box 41046, Athens 12201, Greece cFluid Mechanics and Turbomachines Laboratory, School of Pedagogical and Technological Education, P.O. Box 41046, Athens 12201, Greece |
Abstract: | Hybrid wind-diesel systems are an interesting solution for the electrification of isolated consumers. The proposed system, including a properly sized battery, leads to a significant reduction of the fuel consumption, in comparison with a diesel-only installation, also protecting the diesel generator from excessive wear. On the other hand, a properly designed wind-diesel installation remarkably reduces the required battery capacity, in relation to a wind-only based stand-alone system, especially in medium-low wind potential areas. In this context, a complete sizing model, based on a long-term energy production cost analysis is developed, able to predict the optimum configuration of a hybrid wind-diesel stand-alone system on the basis of minimum long-term cost. According to the application results obtained for representative wind potential cases, the proposed hybrid system guarantees one year’s long energy autonomy of a typical remote consumer, presenting a significant cost advantage in relation either to a diesel-only or to a wind-based stand-alone system. |