Control design and performance evaluation of a grid connected PV–wind power system: A case study of Dongola, Sudan

Abstract

Globally, considerable emphasis is being placed on developing clean and renewable energy systems. However, the utilization of such resources in Africa has not been fully exploited, especially in remote areas. Given the abundance of solar radiation and wind resources, Sudan has a lot of promise for clean energy solutions. This study describes a grid-connected PV–wind hybrid system’s comprehensive design, control strategy, and performance assessment in Dongola city located in Sudan’s northern region. The grid-connected hybrid system consists of a 3 MW wind turbine and a 1 MW solar system which is directly connected to the DC-link without any intermediate stages. The proposed configuration uses the grid-side converter to regulate the PV system terminal voltage, while Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO) algorithm determines the reference DC-link voltage. The PSO parameters have been thoroughly examined and selected for the maximum extraction of the PV system’s power. The hybrid system performance has been evaluated and validated using MATLAB/SIMULINK environment. Moreover, System Advisor Model (SAM) has been utilized to assess the proposed system’s expected energy considering the site’s historical solar irradiance and wind speed data. The simulation results revealed that the proposed system could produce 8,884 MWh annually, with an 89% share of wind generation and 10% produced by the PV system.