Modeling and performance analysis of a hybrid system for a residential application

Hybrid systems, which use more than one renewable energy sources, are quite advantageous, because they can eliminate or at least vitiate the interrupted characteristics of the renewable sources. In the present study, a hybrid system, which consists of a small scale wind turbine and photovoltaic panels, was focused on. The system supplies the required electricity demand for a detached house, with a 117 m2 area, in five different locations (Izmir, Madrid, Budapest, Paris and Helsinki) according to European climate zones. A detailed dynamic hourly electricity generation analysis for the two components of the hybrid system was performed. As a result, the coverage ratio of the hybrid system electricity generation for the total electricity demand of the house, simple payback time and energy payback time of the system were calculated for each city. The results revealed that yearly electrical energy demand of the house can be entirely met by the evaluated hybrid system for each city. Maximum yearly coverage ratio of 176.6% was observed for Izmir, Turkey, while minimum coverage ratio was 103.1% for Helsinki, Finland. The simple payback time and energy payback time of the hybrid system were determined in the range of 7–25.5 years and 4.6–6.8 years, respectively.