Wind Hybrid Systems
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Energy source:
Wind
Name of the technology:
Wind machine, Wind turbine or Wind generator
Date of arrival on the market:
Windmills have existed for centuries.
Today, wind turbines are used mainly to produce electricity, but some are still used for water pumping.
Maturity of the technology:
They have been on the market for several decades. In recent years, the cost has decreased and the reliability and productivity have increased.
Type of energy produced:
Mechanical (e.g.: pumping water)
Electrical
Example of typical usage:
Wind generators or wind power plants connected to an electrical network
Stand-alone systems with energy storage
Payback period and/or benefits:
In 2007, depending on the quality of the wind resource at the site and excluding incentive programs for the production of renewable energy or the value of environmental credits, the net cost of energy from small wind turbines was 10 to 30 cents/kWh. In comparison, net cost of energy from modern large wind power plants was 5 to 10 cents/kWh.
Potential and/or example of hybrid systems (combination of sources):
To minimize the cost of energy supply from an existing electrical system, wind energy may be combined with other energy sources to provide for the various mechanical and/or electrical procedures/demands (e.g.: wind-diesel). For the combination to be viable, the system must be designed and managed by using the most economical sources available and in a way that will not lower the quality of the energy service provided by the system to which the sources are combined. E.g.: wind-hydraulic, wind-diesel, PV-wind, etc.
In some cases, hybrid systems may require the use of a secondary balancing load, coupled or not with an energy storage unit, in order to compensate for certain operational constraints/requirements of the existing system.
Links To Other Sources Of Information And Recommendations
More information (hyperlinks):
http://www.smallwindenergy.ca/en/SmallWind.html
http://www.canwea.ca/Fact_Sheets_eng.cfm
http://www.smallwindenergy.ca/en/SmallWindAndYou
/ConnectingToTheGrid/NetMetering.html
http://www.awea.org/faq/sagrillo/index.html
Manufacturers, suppliers and representatives:
Wind turbine manufacturers and representatives
300 W to 1 kW systems:
http://www.smallwindenergy.ca/en/Resources/Manufacturers/Mini.html
http://www.smallwindenergy.ca/en/Resources/DealersInstallers/Mini.html
1 kW to 30 kW wind turbines:
http://www.smallwindenergy.ca/en/Resources/Manufacturers/Small.html
http://www.smallwindenergy.ca/en/Resources/DealersInstallers/Small.html
30 kW to 300 kW wind turbines
http://www.smallwindenergy.ca/en/Resources/Manufacturers/Medium.html
http://www.smallwindenergy.ca/en/Resources/DealersInstallers/Medium.html
Comments - Recommendations:
Above all, do not confuse the power (kW) and the energy (kWh) produced by a wind energy system. Ten kW will do the same work (supply the same quantity of energy) in one hour as one kW will for 10 hours.
Remember that stand-alone systems always need an emergency backup system.
Do not forget that the cost of setting up a system is not limited to the cost of the wind turbine; the profitability of your project could be compromised.
Do not underestimate the difficulties and delays to obtain all the construction permits and authorizations. There are no possible shortcuts to a successful project.
Support from competent and experienced advisors is a wise investment for any sizeable project.
Modified: 03-31-2008
