Power Electronic Converter Configurations Integration with Hybrid Energy Sources – A Comprehensive Review for State-of the-Art in Research

The electricity demand is increasing day by day. On the other side, fossil fuels are depleting at a higher rate. The abundantly available renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and fuel cells are becoming popular sources of energy. But due to the intermittent availability of these renewable energy sources, two or more energy sources are integrated together. Power electronic converters are used for integrating different energy sources. Various power electronic converter (PEC) topologies have been proposed and analyzed in detail to control maximum power point, voltage, frequency, and harmonic distortions. Each of these configurations will differ in its topology and operating principle. The objective of this paper is to present a comprehensive review of various aspects of PEC configurations available for integration of renewable energy sources by systematization into three groups (AC shunt coupled, DC shunt coupled, and hybrid coupled systems). Emphasis is also given to coordination power control, maximum power point, and grid integration challenges related to the hybrid energy system. Furthermore, a general, system modeling of solar, wind, and grid integration is presented here to give an overall picture of a hybrid renewable energy system.