Hybrid Microgeneration System Utilizing Pico-Hydro and Solar Photovoltaic Microgeneration System For Rural Area

In the migration away from fossil fuel-based economies, a hybrid energy system is an essential resource for improvement of system efficiency and providing a balanced energy supply. A renewable hybrid energy system combines two or more renewable energy (RE) sources to increase system efficiency and maintain a balanced energy supply. The aim of this project is to develop a hybrid pico-hydro and photovoltaic solar microgeneration system. Hydro and solar energy sources were chosen for this project due to Malaysian rural areas’ extensive sun coverage and the large number of tiny running rivers. However, energy generation from a stand-alone RE source has its own limitation for continuous operation. To increase the effectiveness of energy generation, hybrid RE is one of the possible methods. A prototype of hybrid hydro-solar was developed using a combination of small-scale hydro turbine and solar photovoltaic panel which is expected to provide sufficient energy for a low-energy application. From the development of the prototype, an energy analysis has been conducted where the output voltage produced by the stand-alone solar, hydro and hybrid hydro-solar system is shown to be steady. Despite its relatively low energy output, hydropower’s inclusion in a hybrid renewable energy system allows for continuous energy generation, effectively compensating for the limitations of each source.