ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the cold-climate issues related to Photovoltaic (PV)–hybrid systems for off-grid loads, such as remote telecommunications systems and remote residences. PV–hybrid systems are well suited to cold climates because they address the difficulties of having abundant sunshine in the summer but little in the winter: whenever sunshine is not available, the other electric generator provides power. Compared to PV-only systems, PV–hybrid systems are more complex, offer more flexibility and demand more decisions related to design and control. The most common PV–hybrid system contains a battery, a PV array and a genset. The system makes sense financially: PV arrays are costly to purchase but cost little to operate and maintain, while gensets are the reverse. Hydro power is occasionally considered as a generator in PV–hybrid systems. Gensets of either the diesel or spark-ignition types are used in many hybrid applications.
