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raditional diesel-fueled generator set manufacturers and dealers need to start redefining themselves as providers of on-site power solutions providers by considering the introduction of greener technologies into their product mix, according to Paul Wareham, director of business development with DynaGen Technologies. “Cleaner burning engines will certainly be part of the mix going forward, but we also need to start developing partnerships with manufacturers of renewable technologies, such as wind and solar power.”

Hybrid power systems integrate renewable energy production devices, advanced power electronics, battery banks and a generator into a single system providing enough electricity to power an average household or light commercial building.

These hybrid systems work efficiently with renewable energy sources such as solar power, micro-hydro power systems and small-scale wind generators to produce electricity for use in the home or office immediately, or stored in batteries for later use. Typical advanced features of these systems can include real-time satellite data monitoring, automatic battery conditioning, battery temperature management and optimal generator fuel consumption.

One national-level agency that is highly involved in hybrid micropower systems is the National Renewable Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colorado. NREL has developed a micropower optimization model that helps design off-grid and grid-connected systems.

Called HOMER (Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewables), the program finds the least cost combination of components that meet electrical and thermal loads. HOMER simulates thousands of system configurations, optimizes for life-cycle cost and generates results of sensitivity analyses on most inputs.

HOMER is available to download for free on the NREL website by going to: www.nrel.gov/homer.