Performance analysis of a hybrid natural gas generator/photovoltaic system for residential use

Diesel generator sets are mostly used as the main electricity supply or as a backup for areas not connected to the main electricity grid. Natural gas can be used as an alternative fuel of generator set to replace diesel because of its abundant availability and is environmentally friendly. In addition to the generator set, the solar photovoltaic (PV) system is also suitable for implementation in remote areas since its primary energy sources are easy to obtain. The combination of these two types of power generation is expected to be reliable enough to supply the electricity for houses in remote areas. This study is conducted to observe the performance of the hybrid natural gas generator set/solar PV system in terms of specific fuel consumption (SFC) and power quality through a testbed, and further analyze the economic aspect. According to the result, the voltage and frequency generated by the natural gas generator set either integrated with a solar PV system or not is still within the allowable operating limits. Moreover, the SFC value of the hybrid system is higher than the one with natural gas generator set only.