Techno-economic feasibility study of autonomous hybrid wind/PV/battery power system for a household in Urumqi, China

• Published in: Energy (Oxford) 2013-06, Vol.55, p.263-272
• Main Authors: Li, Chong, Ge, Xinfeng, Zheng, Yuan, Xu, Chang, Ren, Yan, Song, Chenguang, Yang, Chunxia
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: ambient temperature; Applied sciences; batteries; computer software; Direct energy conversion and energy accumulation; Electrical engineering. Electrical power engineering; Electrical power engineering; Electrochemical conversion: primary and secondary batteries, fuel cells; Energy; energy costs; Equipments, installations and applications; Exact sciences and technology; HOMER software; Hybrid wind/PV/battery power system; Natural energy; Photovoltaic conversion; solar collectors; Solar energy; Solar radiation; Total net present cost (NPC); wind; wind power; Wind speed; wind turbines
• ISSN: 0360-5442
• DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2013.03.084

In this paper, based on renewable energy resources and load data research, a techno-economic feasibility study of an autonomous hybrid wind/photovoltaics (PV)/battery power system for a household in Urumqi, China, has been form carried out using Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) simulation software. The effects of ambient temperature, the variation of load and PV module tilt angles are considered in this simulation. The hybrid wind/PV/battery system with 5 kW of PV arrays (72% solar energy penetration), one wind turbine of 2.5 kW (28% wind energy penetration), 8 unit batteries each of 6.94 kWh and 5 kW sized power converters comprises an optimal power system for the household; it reduces the total net present cost (NPC) about 9% and 11% compared with PV/battery and wind/battery power systems, which has a similar consequence for the levelized cost of energy (COE). The economical, sensitivity and PV module tilt angle analyses of the proposed hybrid wind/PV/battery power system are discussed in this paper. •Techno-economic feasibility of hybrid wind/PV/battery system for a household was studied by HOMER.•Effect of ambient temperatures, variation of loads and PV tilt were considered.•Economic, sensitivity, and PV tilt analysis of the system were all discussed.