Researchers at the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Rourkela, have developed an intelligent control system that can automatically control the flow of electricity from solar, wind and battery sources, officials said.
He said the innovative “hybrid microgrid” could provide clean and continuous electricity to rural areas lacking access to the main electricity grid. The research findings have been published in the journal IEEE Transactions on Industry Applications.
Arnab Ghosh, assistant professor at NIT Rourkela, said the primary objective of the research is to reduce dependence on fossil fuel reserves and supply electricity to remote areas not covered by the main grid.
He said, “Hybrid microgrids are being researched globally, where renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power are combined with battery storage. However, the integration remains complex and prone to fluctuations, leading to unstable supply and even interruptions.”
To address this issue, a dynamic power management plan (PMS) has been developed that enables all energy producers and storage units to coordinate seamlessly, he said. He said this technology allows batteries to store energy safely and efficiently, increasing capacity and lifetime, while reducing overall costs.
Ghosh explained that automatically switching the converters according to the most readily available resources – solar in the morning, and wind during the rest of the day, biomass gasifier (BMG), and pico hydropower (PH) – ensures that the active power flow is balanced across different loads.
“This multi-source converter-based hybrid setup, which rarely exists in current markets, can provide an effective solution to the needs of remote communities and can be a source of approximately 10 kilowatts of reliable energy, enough for four homes.”
“The research focuses on power management between different sources, loads and storage systems. Energy management techniques in renewable energy-integrated microgrids provide societal benefits by ensuring reliable power access, especially in remote communities,” said Krishna Roy, assistant professor, Department of Electrical Engineering, NIT Rourkela.
“They promote sustainable development, create local employment opportunities and improve living standards. Additionally, they reduce dependence on fossil fuels, increase energy security and support community resilience through cleaner, affordable and more equitable energy solutions,” Roy said.
The researchers claimed that their system worked under multiple real-world scenarios, such as fluctuations in solar radiation, changes in wind speed, and varying electrical loads.
The proposed system will also be effective in electric vehicle charging stations and standalone renewable energy systems.
