Selection of Diesel Generators for Small Rural Wind-Diesel Power Systems

Developments in renewable energy systems have lead to increased use of renewable/diesel hybrid systems to provide power to small remote communities where grid connections are not viable. The selection of the rural hybrid power systems is influenced by the expected load, renewable resources and operating costs. Generator selection is made by comparing capacities and potential operating costs of available generators to determine the most suitable system to supply the load and is dependent on the selection method. The objective of this paper is to compare unit commitment and economic dispatch methods of selection of diesel generators in a small hybrid power system. A software tool developed for use in the selection of small rural wind/diesel standalone systems will be used to compare both methods. Inputs to the tool include expected load data, site-specific renewable resource data and sample generator data. The output lists the generators selected for both methods and the corresponding operation costs based on the expected annual load. Results will be compared to highlight the differences and similarities of the selected systems