Optimal hybrid power system design for rural electrification

Both grid-tied and off-grid diesel power plants are operational throughout the country. Integration of wind power into traditional diesel-only power supply system reduces the green house gases and thereby global warming. Many researches are conducted in improving the performance of the system but unfortunately the actual design of a hybrid wind-diesel system is less worked upon. In this work, we have built and simulated a wind-diesel hybrid system using the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable (HOMER) and compared the operational and economic parameters with traditional diesel system parameters, widely used in rural India. The economic perspective in the design is highlighted with suitable graphical plots.