Page 26 - North American Clean Energy January February 2014

wind power

Hybrid Solutions

Supplying reliable

power to off-grid

industrial sites

By Del Williams

WHEN OFF-GRID ENERGY IS REQUIRED at remote industrial sites, the available renewable With high costs at stake, it might seem like an obvious solution would be to simply
sources typically come down to two options: solar or wind power.
connect to the grid. But, often times, the power demands at of-grid industrial sites and
As the sun tends to be more reliable than the wind, solar power is often selected. substations just aren’t large enough to make connecting to the grid feasible. Building extra

It’s a fairly inexpensive option that provides enough clean energy to power anything power lines isn’t simple, and is often quite cost prohibitive. It can cost anywhere from
and everything from industrial site sensors, meters, and pumps, to the controllers and $80,000 to $100,000 per mile to run power poles or lay underground power cables.
communication towers needed to maintain proper site operation. However, with the “It simply doesn’t make sense to run power for small power requirements,” adds Kaspari.
decreasing costs of small, of-grid wind turbines, which now operate in even the most “[Especially when] integrating a $1,000 wind turbine, with a new or existing solar power

modest wind conditions, wind energy is becoming a more viable solution.
system, can ensure that production stays online even during adverse weather conditions.”
A third choice exists, however, that can meet the power needs required in remote
locations without having to choose one renewable power source over another: a hybrid Built to last
solution.
Weather is a signiicant factor when it comes to of-grid power systems. Often times, the

Hybrid systems that incorporate solar panels and small or medium-scale wind turbines substations found in remote locations face challenging elements, from storms, hail, and
are enhancing the reliability of of-grid energy, and form an ideal complementary snow, to high wind chills and more.
relationship with each compensating for the weaknesses of the other system. Where solar “Remote power systems need to be designed for the worst case scenario, which is
is best during the daytime, wind power works throughout the night. Where solar is better typically in the dead of winter,” says Brent Busenlehner, president of ReadyFlo Systems, a

through the summer months, wind power tends to rule the winter months. And, on stormy system integrator of remote power and automated control systems.
and overcast days, wind power remains the best option for generating power.
Solar power, though relatively inexpensive, is not always reliable when paired with
batteries for power storage. To generate power, solar panels must collect sunshine at
Remote power solutions
suicient intensity and at the right angle.

Maintaining continuous, reliable power at remote, of-grid substations is a critical In many states, however, there’s limited daylight in the winter months. For example,
concern in industries ranging from oil and gas to telecom, to mining and the railroad South Texas averages only four or so hours of sunlight per day come December and
industry. If power is lost, key measurement and monitoring equipment, along with data January, and the Dakotas get even less than that—averaging maybe three hours of
communications can lead to production shutdowns, costing tens of thousands of dollars sunshine, according to the Department of Energy. In the worst case, there’s simply no sun

per hour in some cases.
for potentially long periods of time. Moreover if any snowfall covers solar panels, power
“An unplanned power outage can cost tens of thousands of dollars in lost production isn’t generated until the snow melts or the solar panels are cleaned of.
and unscheduled downtime,” explains Tony Kaspari, an electrical engineer at Beabout In such cases, wind power complements solar energy because it produces the most
Company, which provides consulting services to many industrial businesses in the Rocky power precisely when solar power is reduced or unavailable, such as at night, in inclement

Mountain area, including electric utilities.
weather, and during winter. hroughout the winter months, average wind speed tends to

26 nacleanenergy.com
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2014