ABSTRACT
Problems related to climate change and the adverse environmental impact of using fossil fuels for the generation of electrical energy have raised an alarm to switch towards greener alternatives. In this regard, the use of renewable energy sources (RESs), viz., wind turbines (WTs), solar photovoltaic (PV) panels, fuel cells, etc., have been promoted and incentivized. These RESs can be interfaced to the low-voltage distribution network that empowers the consumers, such as individual households and industries, to generate their own power. The concepts of microgrids (MGs), i.e., a small-scale grid comprising its own loads and energy sources, have evolved gradually with the increasing integration of RESs on the distribution network. Increasing usage of RESs, like solar PV and WTs, respectively, rely on the solar irradiance and speed of the blowing wind. Both these sources are of intermittent nature and not able to generate electric power continuously. As solar PV arrays produce energy only during the day time when sun is available, and for WTs, the wind does not always blow. Therefore, to have a buffer that nullifies the effect of such generation intermittency, the battery-based storage devices are also integrated as an important component of the microgrids. Moreover, as both alternating current (AC) and direct current (DC) are involved, the integration of RESs and storage units needs proper power electronic conversion systems. In present work, the wind energy harvesting, various aspects like types of WTs and involved components, operational principles, power electronic interfacing, advantages and disadvantages of wind energy systems, and its applications are discussed.
