Solar PV and diesel-gen combined hybrid power system installed in an island

The problem with solar PV power generation stations is the inconsistency of power generation throughout the day and also not availability of power in the night. To solve this problem, solar PV is integrated with other conventional power sources such as diesel generator or any such power source, so that the both can work together in providing uninterrupted power. SMA has installed on such hybrid system in Tongan island of Vava’u. An additional storage unit ensures that environmental challenges like cloud cover are not a problem. The PV diesel hybrid system will offset up to 70 percent of Vava’u’s electricity demand during the day and approximately 13 percent of the annual demand of the Island. The new solar farm includes ground-mounted photovoltaic panels and battery storage technology that is fully integrated with the island’s diesel power station. The 500kW system has the capacity to produce 873MWh of energy per annum and is projected to offset an average of 225,000 litres of diesel each year. The system comprises 21 SMA Sunny Tripower 20000TL inverters, 15 SMA Sunny Backup 5000 inverters and the SMA Fuel Save Controller. “SMA is proud to be an integral part of the system at Vava’u, helping the Tongan government to reduce its fossil fuel dependency,”said Mark Twidell, Managing Director of SMA Australia. “This project benefits from the SMA Fuel Save Solution which sta...