Grid-Connected Hybrid Wind and Solar Power Systems
There are two primary applications of home wind turbine power systems: grid-tied and off-grid. These applications diverge in the type of inverters utilized.
In a grid-tied wind turbine power system, a grid-tied inverter is integrated with the grid via a step-up transformer. This facilitates the exportation of all wind-generated energy to the grid.
Conversely, an off-grid wind turbine power system is employed in homes not connected to the grid. Consequently, such systems store all wind-generated energy in a battery. The off-grid inverter converts DC current from the battery into AC current for household appliances. However, a limitation of the off-grid wind turbine power system is its finite energy storage capacity in the battery, leading to potential interruption of appliance operation when the stored energy is depleted.
Nonetheless, a third configuration of the wind turbine power system can exist if the off-grid inverter is substituted with a hybrid inverter connected to solar panels and the grid. The advantage of employing the hybrid inverter lies in its capability to import energy from the grid when household appliances demand more energy than what is stored in the battery.