ABSTRACT

Electrical energy requirements for many remote applications are too great to allow the cost-effective use of stand-alone or autonomous PV systems. In such cases, it may prove more feasible to combine several different types of power sources to form what is known as a ‘hybrid’ system. To date, PV has been effectively combined with other types of power generators such as wind, hydro, thermo-electric, petroleum-fueled and even hydrogen. The selection process for hybrid power source types at a given site can include a combination of many factors including site topography, seasonal availability of energy sources, cost of source implementation, cost of energy storage and delivery, total site energy requirements, etc.