Performance Analysis of Hybrid Ultra Capacitor (HUC) based Solar Microgrid for Household Applications

Localised power generation and consumption using a solar-based hybrid micro-grid system are gaining predominance in remote locations where conventional transmission of power from far off substations work out to be uneconomical. Since the peak irradiance from the sun lasts for 4-6 hours per day, a hybrid micro-grid with batteries for storing energy is usually adopted. This study considered a typical household load of 3kW comprising resistive and inductive loads. Sudden surges will be caused by switching ON/OFF of any load, and in particular, switching ON of inductive loads (such as fans, washing machines and mixer) will further contribute to transients. These sudden changes in loads harm the cyclic life of the battery. A viable solution to overcome the above problem is to use Hybrid Ultra Capacitors (HUC) as an assistant to the Batteries. These HUC banks can take over the surge loads, whereas Batteries can focus on delivering steady power. Such a combination has the potential to enhance the battery’s life. This study discusses the performance of Hybrid Ultra Capacitor (HUC) based Hybrid Energy Storage System (HESS) in a 3kW Solar MicrogriAU: Please prod system by evaluating the electrical parameters involving experiments with different loads.