System Types - There are two types of hybrid electric plants - stand alone and grid inter-tie. The stand alone hybrid supplies electricity completely autonomously and always includes a battery. The grid inter-tie hybrid is connected to the central-station network which performs a similar function as the battery - to accommodate variations in both the supply and the demand. In some circumstances a battery and the grid can both be included for mutual benefit. The stand alone is best suited to rural and remote homes and businesses and the grid inter-tie would be best suited to homes and businesses in large and small cities. The grid inter-tie system could transition to a stand alone system in the future with the addition of a battery.

System Sizes -  There are three sizes of hybrid electric plants - small, medium, and large. A small hybrid rated up to 25 kW is best suited to individual homes and businesses. A medium hybrid rated up to a few MW is suitable for a rural town, small community, or large commercial application. A medium systems could include multiple individual hybrid users with and/or without a battery. A large system would include wind farms, offshore arrays, and major solar parks as a part central-station electric utility system. As a point of interest, the central-station network is a hybrid system too - coal, nuclear, natural gas, and hydro energy sources and diverse components large and small - including batteries. For our purposes, the focus will be on the small and medium sizes and to leave the large systems to the major electric utilities.

System Characteristics - The hybrid system is modular by design and is configured using 4 basic components -  solar panels, a wind generator, an engine/generator set (genset), or an other source. They may be used individually or combined with one or more of the other components. These components are then combined with a battery for a stand alone type or connected to the electric utility for the grid inter-tie type. A hybrid electric plant for a specific application is configured based on several factors - type and size, location, local weather patterns and resources, amount of energy needed, flexibility of demand, and the attributes of the sources. Building a hybrid system is guided by a few basic principles.

1. Solar and wind energy are the preferred energy sources and the first consideration.
   

2. Renewable biofuels from local resources are the preferred complimentary energy source.
   

3. Electric use is highly rationalized and as efficient as practical.
   

4. Individual country homes, farms, and businesses use stand alone hybrids whenever possible.
   

5. Electrical equipment for use with stand alone hybrid systems is readily available - again.
   

System Configuration - Building a hybrid electric plant starts with an understanding the exact details of the needs to be served. Since the idyllic country home is the center of our vision, the use of electricity in the typical family home in the United States in 2002 as shown below will be used as our model. Thus, the goal is to supply the basic electric needs, 790 watts average, plus air conditioning, 320 watts average. Space and water heating should be provided by direct fuel use - natural gas, LP, home heating fuel, biofuel, wood, ... .

It is important to note that the national average of 1216 watts is a composite weighted value that includes a significant percentage of all electric homes that use electricity for space and water heating that have a disproportionate effect on this value. Understanding the characteristics and attributes of each of the Components, how they supplement and compliment each other, and choosing compatible equipment is the next step to determine a hybrid electric plant configuration.

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