OPTIMAL DESIGN OF A ROOFTOP WIND-PV HYBRID SYSTEM TO MEET ENERGY DEMAND FOR A TYPICAL RESIDENTIAL HOME

Abstract

Energy price gradually increases all over the world every year due to population and economic growths. The primary sources of electricity are usually fossil fuels and major part of them is imported. It is a typical indication of the foreign energy dependency although many countries in the world have renewable energy potential. This potential can be seized on using on-grid or off-grid renewable systems in particular wind-PV systems ranging from power ratings of 1 to 10 kW in remote areas. To make such systems economic, power balance between generation and consumption should be maintained at hourly time slots in the day. One way to do that is to solve a discrete optimization problem and the solution can be achieved by a mathematical model satisfying the given constraints in a certain location. Unit sizing of a low power off-grid renewable system to meet power demand for a typical residential home in a location is achieved, in the design process the genetics algorithm is encoded in MATLAB environment for simplicity and robustness, and the outcomes are meaningful and encouraging for widening renewable energy applications worldwide.