Application fields of solar and wind power system:
At present, solar and wind power system is usually used in remote areas without power grid. In fact, the application field of wind-solar complementary power generation technology is very wide. By effectively integrating solar cells, wind turbines, and batteries, the issue of intermittent power generation can be successfully addressed, ensuring a relatively stable power supply. Below I will give some examples of application scenarios:
1. Application in communication base stations
Numerous islands and mountainous regions are distant from the main power grid. However, to meet the communication requirements of local industries like tourism, fisheries, and navigation, establishing communication base stations is essential. These stations have relatively low power demands. Connecting to city power is costly due to pole and line installation expenses. Alternatively, using diesel generators incurs high fuel storage and transport costs, maintenance challenges, and low reliability.
To solve the problem of long-term stable and reliable power supply, we can only rely on local natural resources. As inexhaustible renewable resources, solar energy and wind energy are quite abundant on islands. In addition, solar energy and wind energy have strong complementarity in time and region. The wind-solar complementary power generation system is an independent power supply system with good reliability and economy, which is suitable for powering communication base stations.
With on-site maintenance staff at the base station, incorporating a diesel generator as backup during low solar and wind power can downsize the solar array and wind turbine, cutting system costs and enhancing system reliability.
2. Power supply for highway monitoring equipment
At present, highway road cameras usually run 24 hours a day, using the traditional mains power supply system. Although the power is not large, it consumes a lot of electricity because of the large number. Traditional power systems hinder energy efficiency. Camera power cables are frequently stolen, leading to substantial losses and inflated usage and maintenance expenses. Consequently, highway operation costs rise.
Since the highway monitoring system has many points and long lines, the use of traditional public power grid power supply is not only difficult to construct, but also has high supporting costs. At present, the cost of solar photovoltaic power generation is high, and the cost of wind energy is relatively low. The complementarity between the two has its unique advantages for power-consuming places with many points and long lines such as highway monitoring systems and places with power shortages far away from the power grid.
Utilizing wind-solar hybrid systems for powering surveillance cameras is both eco-friendly and eliminates the need for vulnerable cables, reducing theft risks. Yet, regions in the country facing harsh weather like prolonged rain, scarce sunlight, and insufficient wind might encounter interruptions in power supply continuity.
During such conditions, urban power lines can automatically recharge batteries when renewable sources fall short, ensuring uninterrupted system functionality. Each surveillance point operates independently, preventing outages at one point from affecting others within the system.
3. Application in pumped storage power stations
The wind-solar hybrid pumped storage plant harnesses wind and solar power directly to operate pumps for storage, bypassing batteries. It utilizes stored water energy for consistent power supply, merging traditional hydro with renewables. This method optimizes spatial and temporal disparities among wind, solar, and hydro sources, ideal for off-grid regions. It promotes eco-friendly energy development and environmental conservation.The development of wind-solar complementary pumped storage power stations must meet at least the following two conditions:
(1) The three energy sources should maintain energy conservation during the energy conversion process.
(2) The water volume of the self-circulating system formed by the pumping system is kept balanced.
Despite slightly higher electricity costs compared to traditional hydropower, the wind-solar hybrid pumped storage system addresses issues faced by small hydropower stations in winter downtime. This multi-energy approach offers distinctive technical and economic benefits, serving as a viable energy strategy for eligible regions.
4. Application on navigation marks
Navigation marks in some areas have applied solar photovoltaic power generation systems, especially lighthouses, but there are also some problems. The most prominent one is that under continuous bad weather conditions, solar power generation is insufficient, which can easily cause over-discharge of batteries and light outages, affecting the performance of batteries.
Bad weather is often accompanied by strong winds. In other words, weather conditions when solar power generation is not ideal are often when wind energy is most abundant. In view of this situation, a wind-solar hybrid power generation system with wind power generation as the main and photovoltaic power generation as the auxiliary can be used to replace the traditional solar power generation system.
The wind-solar hybrid power generation system has the characteristics of environmental protection, pollution-free, maintenance-free, easy installation and use, and meets the requirements of navigation mark energy application. When the solar energy configuration meets the energy supply in spring and summer, the wind-solar complementary power generation system will not be started; in winter and spring or when there is continuous rainy weather and solar power generation is poor, the wind-solar complementary power generation system will be started.
5. Application in LED outdoor lighting
The power consumption of outdoor lighting projects in the world accounts for about 12% of the global power generation. Under the background of increasingly tight energy and environmental protection in the world, the energy-saving work of wind-solar complementary LED lighting technology has attracted increasing attention from all over the world.
The wind-solar hybrid LED lighting system operates by intelligently charging batteries with solar and wind power via a controller. Various LED outdoor lights automatically adjust based on ambient light levels at night. The smart controller features wireless network communication, enabling three-remote management (telemetry, telesignaling, remote control) with a central computer. It boasts robust artificial intelligence capabilities, facilitating advanced three-remote management (monitoring fixture operation status, fault detection, anti-theft alerts) across the lighting project. LED outdoor lighting projects mainly include:
(1) Road lighting projects (expressways, main roads, secondary roads, and branch roads).
(2) Urban community lighting projects (community street lights, garden lights, lawn lights, underground lights, wall lights, etc.).
Currently, the new energy and new light source outdoor lighting projects that have been developed include: wind-solar complementary LED intelligent street lights, wind-solar complementary LED community road lighting projects, wind-solar complementary LED landscape lighting projects, and wind-solar complementary LED intelligent tunnel lighting projects.
Learn More：A review on the complementarity between grid-connected solar and wind power systems – ScienceDirect
