Design and Analysis of a Solar-Wind Hybrid System

The renewable energy sources like wind and solar energies can be combined to increase the total power generation and thereby increase the efficiency of the system. The combination also provides a means to overcome the intermittent nature of the solar and wind renewable energy sources, since one source can be used for power generation when other is not available. AC-DC converters are used convert the alternating voltage of the wind generator to a constant DC value which can be used to charge the batteries or later converted to AC voltage to drive AC loads. A Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) system using boost converter is designed to extract maximum possible power from the sun when it is available. This method provides better harmonic reduction since Harmonic content is detrimental for the generator lifespan, heating issues, and efficiency. Simulations are carried out in PSIM software and MATLAB.