Investigation of VRB-ESS integrated with renewable hybrid power system for building

Abstract

Beneficial in items of improved reliability, energy services, operational life and energy efficiency, VRB-ESS and its integrated hybrid power system has brought forth the better form of perfection in generation and distribution.

A hybrid power system contains two or more power generation systems, such as wind turbines, solar photovoltaic, fuel cells, micro-hydro and/or fossil fuel generators, etc. The hybrid power system, in this thesis, combines three energy sources: the solar energy, National Grid Power and Fuel Cell that are integrated with Vanadium Redox Battery Energy Storage System (VRB-ESS) that supply electricity to building. The interaction of the solar energy, fuel cell, National Grid Power, VRB-ESS and demanded loads is complicated because both the loads and the solar power output fluctuate during the daytime. The VRB-ESS works together with solar PVM and fuel cell to shave the building peak demand and reduce building consumption from National Grid Power.

This thesis analyzes the models of hybrid power systems, the interaction among HPSs' components, as well as the relative size of the components that is used efficiently at an optimum rate. This thesis develops a methodology using Microsoft excel to numerically simulate the different HPSs for the building load profile and aim to optimize the levelized unit energy cost - US$ per kWh for each HPS.