Feasibility analysis of standalone solar-wind hybrid energy system in Guwahati

Abstract

Electricity generated from renewable energy sources is becoming widespread due to the adverse environmental effects and increasing costs associated with the use of conventional energy sources like fossil fuels, hydel and nuclear. Electricity generated from readily available renewable energy sources like solar and wind are great alternatives and have the potential of satisfying the energy requirements to a great extent. However, solar and wind energy used independently are not entirely reliable due to their unstable nature and intermittent availability. The use of solar and wind energy together as a hybrid energy system has been found to be more efficient and economically viable. The objective of this paper is to carry out a feasibility study of standalone solar-wind hybrid energy system in Guwahati. Solar irradiation and wind speed of various locations of the city has been collected for the work. A standalone hybrid energy system comprising of solar panels, wind turbines and battery bank supplying an assumed load is used for this study. Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) technique is employed to find the optimal number of solar panels, wind turbines and batteries keeping load fulfillment and economical constraints in mind. The study concludes by identifying the hot spots in the city where solar wind hybrid energy systems are feasible.