USEFULNESS OF SMALL-SCALE STAND-ALONE HYBRID SOLAR-WIND POWER PLANTS IN RURAL AREAS.

Reliability of electric energy supply and its cost-efficiency are the main indicators, which are highly important for electric energy customers. In rural areas, especially those not far from the sea, strong winds blow quite often, and they are causing a lot of damage – electricity supply failure, damage to electricity networks. As a result, villages, small settlements, farmsteads, and farms near them remain without electricity for a long time – up to a week and sometimes more. As a result, farmers and other villagers suffer significant material and financial losses. Nowadays, the cheapest power-producing RES-based power plants dominate the electricity production sector, allowing for the installation of autonomous hybrid solar-wind power plants in rural areas with sufficient wind energy resources. Solar energy resources in countries up to 60º parallel (and a bit more) are sufficient for electricity production. They do not vary much by location and are sufficient for power users in homesteads, farms, or small companies. Such a hybrid solar-wind power plant could be a continuous power supplier for local needs. Only in rare cases, when solar and wind energy resources are insufficient, could a hybrid power plant charge its batteries at night. The hybrid power plant could use the cheapest nighttime energy from the electricity system grid as a backup source to charge its battery. It can also be useful for the energy system itself, which wants to increase electricity consumption at night. In areas with abundant solar and wind resources, stand-alone hybrid solar-wind plants can produce electricity at a lower cost compared to purchasing it from the power system. The installation and operation of the experimental power plant can provide a definitive answer to this question. The article presents and describes a block diagram of connections in a stand-alone hybrid solar and wind power plant (HSWPP) and explains its benefits to its owners. The conclusions of this study and the list of literature for useful information are submitted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]