Why hybrid power systems can't penetrate Southeast Asia yet

Why hybrid power systems can't penetrate Southeast Asia yet

When energy storage provider Qinous announced that it will develop hybrid
microgrids in Indonesia, industry experts had mixed reactions. For its
proponents, hybrid power systems are the dream of the future, integrating
traditional power sources with renewable power sources, but experts warn
that it can turn into a technical nightmare.

There is an array of technical challenges that must be overcome to ensure
that present levels of reliability are not significantly affected when
operating a hybrid power system, says Amit Gupta, chief of electrical
capability group-Asia at Rolls-Royce Singapore Pte Ltd, Singapore.

One key task is to design new market models that allow competitive
participation of intermittent energy sources, and provide appropriate
incentives for investment. There is also a need to design appropriate demand
side management schemes to allow customers to react to the grid needs.

Asian countries like the Philippines also face an uphill battle when it
comes to funding and site availability. Malin Östman Manager, project
development at Wärtsilä Finland Oy, Singapore reckons there is excellent
potential for PV-engine hybrids in the Philippines due to a good level of
irradiation and widespread diesel use as a generating fuel, which supports
their economic feasibility. But cost and availability of land remain as
major challenges to implement solar PV and PV-engine hybrids across the
islands.

The rising complexity of hybrid systems should also keep operators on their
toes.

"The development of more energy sources or storage technologies will
increase the complexity on hybrid systems, and together the control systems
that will be needed to manage all these systems and guarantee their optimal
operation," says Fernando Niggli, technical manager at DEIF Korea, South
Korea.

He reckons that individual sources cannot operate if the integration to the
other sources is incomplete. This only causes more problems, especially in
the microgrid level of applications, and puts pressure on the industry to
roll out better systems.

"The continuous development of the energy management system to englobe and
integrate always more sources is necessary for the microgrid industry to
succeed," he adds.

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Link to Original Article:
http://asian-power.com/power-utility/in-focus/why-hybrid-power-systems-cant-
penetrate-southeast-asia-yet

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John Diecker
APT Consulting Group Co., Ltd.

www.aptthailand.com