Wind-solar hybrid system — an innovative and smart approach to augment renewable generation and moderate variability to the grid

India has ambitious plans to add unprecedented level of Renewable Energy on its power grid. The main driver towards this initiative is to achieve energy security by exploiting ways and means which are sustainable in nature and produce clean energy. This paper presents the philosophy towards commissioning of the country's first MW level grid-connected wind-solar hybrid project by M/s ReGen Powertech Pvt. Ltd. Under this project, Solar Photo-Voltaic (SPV) system has been additionally commissioned in a wind-farm premises, where a Wind Energy Convertor (WEC) is already operational. The combination facilitates substantial saving on number of counts, which include sharing of common land as well as some of the equipment, like inverter, transmission network for the evacuation of power, and common auxiliaries. Furthermore, by combining wind and solar, which are largely complimentary in nature, the overall variability of the output produced has also been moderated and the combined output is certainly more conducive towards integration with the grid. This paper presents the overall philosophy behind the subject topic and the way forward towards enhancing the capacities of such installations in the country.