A hybrid solar PV/wind energy system for voltage regulation in a microgrid

Abstract

Autonomous operation of a microgrid system hinges on the efficient combination of various energy resources to maintain self-sustainability of energy supply. Furthermore, it is equally important to coordinate the resources to regulate the microgrid voltage profile. The problem becomes more complicated if these resources have intermittent characteristics such as solar PV and wind turbines. This paper presents a hybrid solar PV/wind turbine system for voltage regulation in a microgrid. Demand response (DR) is employed to control the total energy consumption, so as to maintain the system security and enhance the microgrid's voltage profile. The singular use of solar PV and/or wind generation is tested and compared to the coordinated hybrid case. Investigation is carried out on an autonomous microgrid bus feeder to validate the effectiveness of the proposed system. It is shown that the coordination between the two variable renewable energy resources is much more effective in regulating the voltage throughout the microgrid.