Assessment of a Hybrid Renewable Energy System: The Case of Kuwait

Abstract

The energy needs in Kuwait are increasing rapidly and more power sources are required to cover this demand especially in peak time in summer. Renewable energy has a good potential of use in Kuwait due to Kuwait’s weather and environment with lot of sunny days and wind. The purpose of this paper is to study and develop a cost-effective solution based on hybrid system that allows obtaining green energy in Kuwaiti’s residences. The proposed off-grid system includes solar panel, wind turbine, battery bank and fuel cell system to form a standalone power system. Furthermore, the load demand of a typical Kuwaiti residence along with available meteorological data are measured and considered. The overall performance of the hybrid system is analyzed to form an optimum and dynamic system with high performance all year round that fits the load of the residence.