Hybridization
– perfectly balancing supply and demand to meet carbon goals
POWER
Exactly when you need it
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Clean energy revolution transforms performance
Decarbonization is under increasingly urgent global focus as climate change research and experience increasingly impact societies around the globe. As a result, we develop the means and measures required to guide the international community towards cleaner energy sources such as the international Sustainable Development Goals, the Paris agreement, and International Maritime Organization regulations
The world is steadily, and quite quickly, diversifying its primary sources of energy. As we transition from fossil fuels such as oil and coal, through natural gases and nuclear power and further toward solar, wind and hydro, there’s an increasing need to overcome the gaps produced when the energy demand exceeds energy supply - or when energy supply exceeds demand.
Energy providers attempt to meet the ever-changing supply and demand requirements as closely as possible. However, external factors, such as the weather (in relation to renewable sources of power) and the needs of industrial customers (with inherent changes in peak demands), make the
balance of energy supply and demand quite challenging. This is where hybridization comes into play.
Hybridization at a glance
A simple and broad definition of hybridization is any system with two or more sources of
energy acting together to accomplish a task. A hybrid power supply system could include a combination of multiple energy sources, for example solar power, batteries, and LNG. One of the most commonly recognized forms of hybridization today is the
distributed grid, where the mains power
supply comprises a mix of traditional and renewable power sources, often including battery storage.
The benefits of hybridization, in this instance, are fuel savings, performance improvements and reduced emissions.
In the world according to Danfoss Drives, the definition of hybridization can be summed up by introducing a means of energy storage into a system. Hybrid solutions are implemented primarily for at least one of these reasons:
Opportunity to sell more energy from renewable sources to the grid
Reduce total cost of operation (TCO) over the lifetime of the system by:
- avoiding over-dimensioning a system - deferring investment in infrastructure In over-supply situations, the hybrid system can store the surplus energy. When demand levels are high,
the stored energy can then be used again to provide an additional source of energy
Reduce operating expenses (OPEX)
-improve system efficiency
-increase system availability
Hybrid systems can increase system efficiency and avoid power outages caused by grid instability;
Decrease downtime of the system by increasing robustness in the case of power-quality issues.
Hybrid configurations
The illustration shows how some of these systems can be arranged. The size and layout of each hybrid system varies greatly depending on the application.
Multiple sources can supply energy to the application, for example mains supply, local renewable energy source, and energy storage in the form of batteries, super caps or other form of energy storage.
Energy storage directly connected to the AC grid using a grid converter
This reduces the component count and size of the system and improves efficiency.
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