ABSTRACT
The dominant economic factor for a small diesel generator plant is the cost of the fuel, taking into account the associated transportation costs. Integrating wind energy with a diesel plant can be attractive in regions with an appropriate wind regime. In developed countries renewable energy technologies are maturing rapidly as urgency for sustainable energy alternatives increases. Wind turbine technology is playing a leading role in this process. A substantial body of research has been undertaken to develop viable strategies for the integration of wind energy with diesel generation. Wind diesel system demonstration projects have been installed in several locations in developing world and more numerously in remote regions of developed countries. The successful exploitation of wind diesel systems in the future will, however, depend not only on getting the technology right, but also on institutional framework. The complexity of wind diesel systems varies greatly. Generally, improved power quality is achieved at the expense of increased system complexity and reduced robustness.
