Hybrid power generating system for off-grid communities in South Australia

Off-grid communities in South Australia use diesel or gas generators to meet their electricity demand. The effects of recently introduced carbon tax and ever increasing cost of diesel would increase the generation cost of electricity. This paper investigates the possibility of using various forms of hybrid generating systems utilising locally available renewable resources in conjunction with existing diesel generating units to meet the electrical demand of a remote community in South Australia. The Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables (HOMER) software is used to determine the optimal size of renewable resources of various options. The most suitable hybrid system is then determined based on the overall saving over the project life period.