Improved Layout and Centralized Control for Small Hybrid Power Systems
Abstract
At present 1.4 billion people around the world do not have access to electricity. In Southeast Asia 52% of homes in rural areas have electricity, while in Africa only 25% of rural homes have electricity. Access to electricity is even lower in rural areas of Sub-Saharan Africa, at 14.3% . Combining a PV and wind energy system should generally improve power availability as sunny days are often quiet in terms windiness, and strong winds more frequently occur on cloudy days or at night. Most hybrid systems have battery storage, but this is often the most unreliable component.