| Abstract: | Autonomous wind power systems are among the most interesting and environmentally friendly technological solutions for the electrification of remote consumers. However, the expected system operational cost is quite high, especially if the no‐load rejection restriction is applied. This article describes an integrated feasibility analysis of a stand‐alone wind power system, considering, beyond the total long‐term operational cost of the system, the no‐energy fulfilment (or the alternative energy coverage) cost of the installation. Therefore the impact of desired system reliability on the stand‐alone system configuration is included. Accordingly, a detailed parametric investigation is carried out concerning the influence of the hourly no‐energy fulfilment cost on the system dimensions and operational cost. Thus, by using the proposed method, one has the capability–in all practical cases–to determine the optimum wind power system configuration that minimizes the long‐term total cost of the installation, considering also the influence of the local economy basic parameters. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. |
