Hybrid PV – Diesel power generator : design criteria and preliminary performance analysis

Photovoltaic source is the most promising because of widespread availability of solar energy, easy installation and low plant maintenance costs. As almost all renewable sources, PV energy is characterized by discontinuous availability due either to normal day-night cycle and to random atmospheric conditions. The integration of the PV generators with other energy power systems, also based on conventional energy source is more and more suggested whenever users need uninterrupted power and no electric public distribution network (or only an unreliable network) is available. Hybrid PV-Diesel power generation results particularly attractive to supply electrical energy in remote areas or to sustain weak grid. For this reason, ENEA, Italian Agency for New Technology, Energy and Environment, has realized in the Test Site of Monte Aquilone near Manfredonia, in cooperation with Elettr. Santerno