What is a hybrid photovoltaic installation?

Poland’s energy policy is to reduce the use of conventional energy sources. By 2030, the level of renewable energy in the entire energy sector is expected to reach 23%. The solution to meeting these guidelines is the development of photovoltaics (solar PV). Year by year there is a noticeable increase in interest in obtaining energy from the sun and its share in production is constantly increasing. The biggest drawback of current photovoltaic installations is the lack of a reliable and consistent level of power. Hybrid photovoltaic installations address these expectations.

What is a hybrid photovoltaic installation?

As the name suggests, a hybrid photovoltaic installation combines two modes of systems: grid-connected and island ones. The process of generating electricity is the same as for a typical PV installation. The standard system is additionally equipped with a battery pack and a special hybrid inverter, which seamlessly supplies energy to the storage system and plug-in electrical system. These additional elements allow energy to be stored in case of excess production and used at times when energy demand is higher.

Why store electricity?

The hybrid PV system stores excess energy and provides backup power during power outages. This is useful for homeowners, as well as most businesses, as such an installation additionally serves as an emergency power system.  The energy stored in the batteries is used at any time of the day.  For example, in the case of overproduction of energy, it is accumulated in storage and used when the cost of electricity is the highest. Hybrid photovoltaic systems are undoubtedly the most flexible type of PV installation, allowing owners to decide and control how much energy to produce, where to store it, and how and when to use it.

Benefits of the hybrid system

The most popular photovoltaic installations are grid-connected systems. A characteristic feature of this system is that the inverter shuts down when there is a power failure or grid failure. With this procedure, designers protect those performing electrical repairs outside the user’s internal power line. Properly designed hybrid photovoltaic installation will safely disconnect the indoor installation from the grid and turn it into a small grid with its own power plant, energy storage and separate electrical circuit.

In some areas of the electric grid, operators impose export or capacity restrictions on energy. In the case of a significant increase in consumption (e.g. through the use of air conditioners), the use of a hybrid system is the right solution. The inverters used are configured to suit the investor’s needs by modifying the amount of energy given off to the grid and consumed for their own consumption. This solution enables mounting a PV installation with a higher capacity than the connection conditions allow. Reducing energy consumption from the grid will contribute to partial independence from the distribution grid operator. Using a hybrid inverter and appropriate switchgear allows the system to also act as an emergency UPS, a supplementary power source when the grid fails.

Currently, the energy company collects 20% or 30% of the energy when it is fed into the network, depending on the size of its installation. If the user does not consume a significant amount of energy on a regular basis then a large percentage of the generating capacity is lost. By not storing energy, a large part of it is “given away” to the company, so the user loses money that could be spent on a unit that stores excess power. Accumulating PV energy and using it during peak hours will reduce the cost of purchasing electricity, and consequently translate into financial savings.

One of the few drawbacks of hybrid solutions is the higher installation cost due to more components used. The additional cost related to the purchase of an energy bank and a smart solution for using the system increases the initial investment amount. It is also important to keep in mind the need for more space for batteries in the technical room or outside in the case of a large accumulation unit.

Which energy storage to choose?

When choosing energy storage, there are many factors to consider, including technology (lead-acid or lithium-ion batteries), battery capacity, space, full charge and discharge cycles, or warranty period, which is very important to the investor.

There are two types of systems with energy storage:

• For grid stabilisation – the system is designed to improve power quality during short-term load changes on a time scale. Short-term energy supply is important. In this arrangement, the power delivered to the electrical system is more important than its duration.
• For energy storage – the system maintains the capacity and quality of energy for as long as possible. In this case, both the power and the potential time of its delivery are important.

Why is it worth choosing Eneria solutions?

Eneria offers comprehensive customer support in the selection, design, installation and service of a photovoltaic system with energy storage. Our services are comprehensive – we offer support at every stage of the investment. Both at the beginning of the work and at the time of minimising the company’s costs by implementing the installation of a hybrid system at the existing photovoltaic installation.

Wrtten by: Jędrzej Masztaleruk

PV Department Expert