An Investigation of Hybrid Renewable Energy Potential by Harnessing Traffic Flow

Abstract

The potential for hybrid combinations using solar and wind energy can be found in several places, one of which is on the highway. Highways are open areas exposed to direct sunlight and wind can blow forming natural wind tunnels. In addition, vehicles that pass on the road also generate wind which can then be used as an energy source. The purpose of this study is to find out how significant the potential for hybrid energy is by utilizing a combination of solar energy and wind energy obtained from utilizing traffic flow. The method used in this study is an experimental method by testing how much energy is obtained from sunlight by using a solar cell 50 Wp and wind energy by using a technological innovation Veritkal Axis Wind Turbine (VAWTs) 300 watts as a producer of electric power on the highway by utilizing two types of wind at once, namely atmospheric scale wind that blows naturally and wind from vehicle traffic on the highway. Current, voltage, and power measurements are then measured using a digital watt meter. The study's results found that the combined potential of solar energy and wind energy obtained from utilizing traffic flow was 552.11 watts, greater than just using a naturally blowing engine with a power of only 498.67 watts. This energy difference occurs due to an increase in wind frequency generated by traffic flow by 22%.