The German company DHYBRID Power Systems has installed a hybrid power supply for a public project on the Maldives. The project was funded by the World Bank. The solar energy power plant on the island Thinadhoo reduces the amount of diesel fuel consumed by 800 litres per day.
The Maldives archipelago in the Indian Ocean is far from the mainland. This means that its population is dependent on a local power supply. Diesel generators are important for securing the energy supply but they have ecological and economic drawbacks, so the ministry has decided for a hybrid solution. In addition to the four generators, which produce a total of 2.82 MW, DHYBRID has now installed PV systems with a capacity of 600 kW. The integrated HyGRID Fuel Reduction System synchronises the solar energy with the diesel grid. According to the company, the system saves 800 litres of diesel every day.
Grid solution for power and communications
Due to a lack of space, the PV system was distributed over five roofs at selected sites, according to Tobias Reiner, Technical Director at DHYBRID Power Systems: "The big challenge of this project was enabling all components of the system to communicate with each other over long distances." In order to make this work, the team installed a local DSL network that connects all HyGRID control units as well as other devices, such as transformer control systems, over a distance of 4 km. The company offers PV / diesel hybrid solutions and independent solar energy systems for own consumption worldwide.
Ralf Ossenbrink
Photovoltaic Feed