Experimental investigation of power generation in a microgrid hybrid network

Abstract

The hybrid integration of small-scale wind and solar energy conversion systems can be used for on- and off-grid applications. This paper investigates a stand-alone off-grid application of a hybrid small-scale wind turbine and photovoltaic (PV) cell microgrid to supply houses in rural Iraq far from the utility grid. Experimental investigations were performed to measure wind speed and solar radiation, as well as the DC voltage in the rectifier section of a small-scale permanent magnet synchronous generator (PMSG) wind turbine and the DC voltage in a PV cell for 24 hours. The results showed that using a small-scale hybrid wind and solar generating system for off-grid applications in Iraq is possible if the components are equipped with proper charge controllers that perform maximum power point tracking (MPPT) during wind speed and solar radiation fluctuations.