Design of a Low-Cost Hybrid System for a Canadian Home: A Case Study

Abstract

The energy challenge has become the most critical issue in this century, leading to many global conflicts. Solar power is broadly acknowledged as a green technology. A stable and non-outages grid with the lowest cost becomes the target for many people interested in energy, especially after a sharp rise in the regular price of energy. This academic research aims to design a low-cost system for a Canadian home to significantly reduce the power bill of a home in St. Johns, Canada. A house or a small industrial facility can generate enough energy to meet its needs by combining two or three energy sources. In St. John's, Newfoundland, the average yearly wind speed is 6.7 m/s, and monthly average solar radiation exceeds 220 W/m2 . A typical R2000-compliant home uses 68.4kWh per day on average. Many distant dwellings can benefit from hybrid energy systems to generate energy. Photovoltaic and wind power generates electricity by combining solar cells with wind turbines, then integrated into a battery bank. The energy is transferred to an inverter, which produces an alternating current. Before using such energy, significant concerns, such as the input-output relationship, must be considered. A charge controller is required to monitor variations in the energy sources, and a power inverter is needed to convert electric current to alternating current. The economic and geological feasibility is conducted for this case study