Hybrid renewable energy system: tidal current turbine & solar power electrification system on One Fathom Bank

Renewable energy resources are becoming inexorably in the field of generating electrical power due to the fast development of technology, given to its advantages over non-renewable energy resources. Aside from being... [ view full abstract ]

Renewable energy resources are becoming inexorably in the field of generating electrical power due to the fast development of technology, given to its advantages over non-renewable energy resources. Aside from being eco-friendly, renewable energies are non-depletable unlike conventional energy resources, not only becoming exhaustible and degrading each day but also pollutes the environment. Though the source is available in enormous amount, energy produced from single renewable energy resources such as tidal current may fluctuate with the time and the hour of the day or month, depending on the tides. Thus, by having a hybrid power system consisting two or more renewable energy resources coming into play at the same time would be more reliable to support the targeted area. However, the availability of renewable energies depends on the climate change, therefore having a backup power is often essential. In this case, the main purpose of this research is to develop an off-grid hybrid tidal current and solar power system along with backup sources to support One Fathom Bank Lighthouse with the intention to eliminate the usage of diesel generators as a main current source to the building. Having the ability to evaluate economic and technical feasibility of power system, HOMER software is used to run simulation and analyze the most optimum configuration of hybrid power system. The results are based on the best components and sizing with an appropriate operating strategy to provide efficient, reliable and cost-effective system. Thus, the research obtained is able to be used as a feasibility study for any future references.