Reliability Assessment of Renewable (Hydro/Wind/Solar) Energy Systems at Planning Level

Abstract

Renewable energy systems particularly consisting of hydropower, wind and solar have became an integral part of power industry owing to their benefits over conventional resources. These resources are not only environmental friendly but also lead to more sustainable progress in developing nations especially South Asian countries. In this paper, a reliability criterion has been developed and explained to decide the best configuration for renewable energy systems (consisting of hydropower/wind/solar etc.) during the planning stage. Two different configurations of renewable energy systems have been analyzed for maximum reliability. Logic diagram approach has been used to represent the systems under consideration. Reliability assessment of these renewable energy systems have been carried out to find out the most suitable arrangement of comprising stages. The aim is to develop a most robust system of renewable resources (hydro/solar and wind) to supply the power to the consumer end. The approach is easy to implement and leads to development of a more practical and economically beneficial renewable energy system in developing Asian countries.