STAND-ALONE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM PLANNING WITH MICRO-HYDRO • PHOTOVOLTAIC SOURCES AND BATTERY BACKUP

Abstract

In this dissertation presented, an application of renewable energy sources such as micro-hydro and photovoltaic with battery as storage device to form a stand-alone system. Fast depletion of fossil fuel and increasing of price of petroleum products has greatly increased the interest in the renewable energy sources. One of the most versatile application of renewable energy sources, micro-hydro and solar energy,is in the power supply to the remote villages where the connection with general power grid is not economical. Hydropower is highly renewable and cheapest of all energy sources. It should be harnessed to the extent possible. Solar energy is pollution-free and is abundantly available. Solar energy can be planned to meet any load requirement. But because of its high cost and modular nature it has not been used so popularly in India. Of course the popularity of solar energy is extremely high in western countries. The purpose of integration of micro-hydro with photovoltaic is to meet the total load demand with less investment. This system is applicable to the site where total hydro-potential is not enough to meet the load requirement. In the integrated system excess generation of hydro as well as solar plant will be stored in the battery to meet the peak as well as night-time demand. So the planning of micro-hydro, photovoltaic, with storage battery is the objective of this thesis....