Promoting applications of hybrid (wind plus photovoltaic plus diesel plus battery) power systems in hot regions

Depleting oil and gas reserves, combined with growing concerns of atmospheric pollution/ degradation, have made the search for energy from renewable sources of energy, such as solar and wind, inevitable. Literature indicates that commercial/ residential buildings in Saudi Arabia consume an estimated 10-40% of the total electric energy generated. In the present study, hourly mean wind-speed and solar radiation data for the period 1986-1997 recorded at the solar radiation and meteorological monitoring station, Dhahran (26degrees 32' N, 50degrees 13' E), Saudi Arabia, have been analyzed to investigate the potential of utilizing hybrid (wind + solar) energy conversion systems to meet the load requirements of a typical commercial building (with annual electrical energy demand of 620 000 kWh). The monthly average wind speeds for Dhahran range from 4.1 to 6.4 m/s. The monthly average daily values of solar radiation for Dhahran range from 3.6 kWh/m(2) to 7.96 kWh/m(2). The hybrid systems considered in the present analysis consist of different combinations of commercial 10 kW wind energy conversion systems (WECS), photovoltaic (PV) panels supplemented with battery storage unit and diesel back-up. The study shows that with 30 10-kW WECS together with 150 m(2) PV, and 3 days of battery storage, the diesel back-up system has to provide 17% of the load demand. However, in the absence of battery storage, about 38% of the load needs to be provided by the diesel system. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.