Development of a test facility for photovoltaic-diesel hybrid energy systems

To quantify the potential for performance improvements of photovoltaic-diesel (PV-diesel) hybrid energy systems, a test facility has been installed at the Centre for Renewable Energy Systems Technology. The research facility is part of the cooperative program to develop improved power conditioning systems for the provision of electricity in remote areas (ACRE Project 4.1). A customised control interface has been developed using the control and data acquisition software, LabVIEW. The graphical user-interface supports the automatic or manual definition of control parameters, which allows the system designer to apply optimal control methods for the management of PV-diesel hybrid energy systems. Continuously monitored weather data supports the integration of photovoltaic resource and load demand forecasts as part of the control strategy. The paper describes the developed test facility and discusses the potential for performance improvements of stand-alone renewable energy systems, which can be achieved through the application of "intelligent" energy management strategies. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.