Simulation of a Hybrid PV System and Micro-Hydropower Using Matlab/Simulink

The depletion of conventional energy sources, the global quest to reduce greenhouse emissions, and the exponential increase in fossil fuel prices are a few reasons that there is more focus on renewable energy resources. Solar and Microhydropower (MHP) is a good solution for rural electrification to alleviate poverty by promoting socio-economic development. The challenge with one renewable resource is when operating independently does not guarantee continuous power flow due to its intermittent nature and the high initial cost. The effectiveness of the system requires more than one resource hence the development of hybrid systems. This paper presents a hybrid system to cater for the 180kW load in the rural area. The PV irradiance fluctuation is mimicked to test the robustness of the system with constant power from MHP. MHP uses a synchronous generator with the excitation system to maintain the required voltage, PV array control is done by the constant current controller and DC/DC/AC converters are employed to interface the PV system and MHP. Results show that when the irradiance is 1000w/m2 and flowrate is 0.27m3 /s the system meets the load demands, but the fluctuation of the irradiance leads to the load being shed to avoid a blackout.