As you may know, the function of an inverter is to convert DC power coming from the solar panels to AC. A hybrid inverter facilitates storage of some or all of this power by including the provision of connecting a battery or serve as an alternate source of electricity with diesel gensets.
Hybrid inverters ensure that there is an option of getting the power from batteries or diesel genset when the solar panel is not producing power. Essentially, it combines the functions of off-grid and grid-tied inverters. These are especially resourceful in areas that are prone to blackouts or frequent power outages and there is a need for uninterrupted power supply.
Despite their merits, hybrid inverters suffer from a lot of complexities in design. Moreover, the cost is pretty high too. They cost probably 1.5 times that of a conventional inverter.
Consumers who wish to enjoy solar power in the absence of grid power should consider a solar plant with a hybrid inverter that can integrate with a diesel generator or with batteries. In fact, many commercial and industrial facilities in India that require continuous power supply have already exploited this option.
Now, let’s take a look at some relevant installations in India.
Case Studies
- SRG Apparels (Tirupur, Tamil Nadu)
Waaree Energies has set up a 1.1 MW DV Solar PV-Diesel Hybrid power plants for SRG Apparels. 3,870 PV modules of WAAREE Make WS-290WP capacity were installed on the rooftop of the solar project developer’s existing textile plant.
The Rooftop Solar Photovoltaic Power (SPV) Plant commissioned in December 2013 is expected to generate approximately 1.55 million units of energy annually. The PV sources were combined with the existing 3 diesel generator (DG) Sets of 500KVA each, using SMA’s Fuel Save Controller, to meet the textile plant’s connected load requirements during the day time. The system was installed under the REC mechanism for captive use.
- Alpine Knits (Tirupur, Tamil Nadu)
Alpine Knits, a spinning mill in Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, commissioned a 1 MW rooftop, grid-connected, DG synchronized solar plant in March 2013.Construction time was 2 months. This is India’s First MW Scale PV-Diesel Hybrid Solar Power plant.
The Rooftop Solar plant synchronizes with the incoming 11 kV utility grid and provides energy to the spinning mill for captive consumption during the daytime. Additionally, even when the utility grid is not available during frequent power cuts, this solar plant has the capability to synchronize with the in-house 1.25MVA Diesel Generator to provide up to 65% of the energy required by the Alpine Knits factory.
To learn more about hybrid solar inverters, refer Solar Mango Video HERE.
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