Optimal sizing of standalone small rotor wind and diesel system with energy storage for low speed wind operation

Abstract

In recent years, standalone systems are becoming economic and substantial for the electrification in remote areas, where grid connectivity is difficult. This paper presents an approach for electrification of shadow regions in Himalayan area, where the solar energy is not sufficient. The method presented uses the wind-diesel hybrid system for generation of electricity to meet the electric power requirements for a cluster of villages. The approach is novel as it uses small rotor wind turbines (SRWT) in the wind-diesel system. The advantages of using SRWT are (i) low cost, (ii) small in size, (iii) low-speed operation, and (iv) affordable for rural communities. The paper discusses the sizing of different system components to find out optimal combination of energy for the selected study while minimizing the cost of energy (COE) generation for required reliability values. The sizing is performed for three different seasonal load profiles. The two reliability values are considered for the selection of optimum solution of year round application. The proposed model provides continuous supply of electricity while minimizing the energy.